


Who Said Death Was Easy? [Death Note Fanfiction]

by thatonekawaiigirl13



Category: Death Note & Related Fandoms, Death Note (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Drama, Eventual Romance, F/M, Original Character(s), Psychological Drama, Romance, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-02
Updated: 2019-03-07
Packaged: 2019-03-12 15:12:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 39
Words: 149,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13549965
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatonekawaiigirl13/pseuds/thatonekawaiigirl13
Summary: It was only a kiss. Keiko never expected to get involved with Light Yagami and the Kira investigation. Fate, however, had other plans.OCX? to be determined.





	1. Chapter One: Misfortune

 

_ Does this guy ever shut up?  _ Keiko thought to herself as she mindlessly braided the ends of her hair, wishing that she could be somewhere else. Anywhere else. Her date, who happened to have an insufferable personality, sat directly across from her. He was going on and on about some obscure video game that Keiko honestly didn't care about. He was cute, Keiko had to give him that, but she couldn't get a word in edgewise.

She glanced at her watch. It wasn't late enough to make an excuse about needing to go home due to a curfew, but Keiko still had a plan in mind. Walking outside the cafe was a small group of girls gossiping, probably on their way back from cram school. Within the group were a few of Keiko's best school friends. Keiko hadn't made plans with her friends, but her date didn't know that. She knew exactly what to do in situations like these.

Keiko flashed her date a sympathetic smile. “I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude, but I just remembered that I promised my friends I would walk home with them. They're outside the cafe at the moment...I didn't realize our little coffee date would run so late, and so they're waiting for me now.”

Her date let out a sigh. The girl could see the disappointment written on his face, but he didn't attempt to stop her. She knew he wouldn't give her any trouble and her excuse was pretty believable. Keiko had calculated things well.

“I understand, Keiko-chan. I don't want to keep you from your friends.”

“Thank you, Tadaki-kun. I’ll be in touch.” With that, Keiko stood up. She cast her a date a final smile, bidding him goodnight before heading towards her circle of friends. 

_ I won't be in touch, but you don't have to know that. _

“Keiko-chan!” One of her friends, Maki, called out to her. “I thought that was you sitting in that cafe! Were you out on a date?” Maki wiggled her eyebrows upwards as she spoke, earning some whispers and giggles from other girls in the group.

Keiko nodded, a wry smile pulling at her lips. “Yeah. It was a bust, though. The guy was so boring. Where are you guys headed?”

“I'm sorry to hear that,” another one of her close friends responded, Akito, responded. “Well, Maki-chan and I were about to split off from the group. We want to head to the convenience store to get some study snacks.”

“Sounds good.” Keiko commented, “you know, I happen to be free at the moment…”

“You can come along with us, if you’d like,” Maki started, “you’re more than welcome to.”

Keiko agreed, glad that her friends had picked up on her hint. The two of them started to walk away from the group and Keiko soon fell into step with them. She listened as they talked about an upcoming speed date event. It sounded interesting enough, but Keiko wasn’t sure she wanted to go on another date so soon. Her date tonight had been awful. Besides, Keiko had a test to study for. Maintaining her status of being one of the top students in the class was rather important to her. 

The group arrived at the convenience store and headed straight towards the snack section. Keiko picked up a bag of chips. She was heading toward the register when she saw a familiar head of light brown hair walking towards the magazine section. Light Yagami.

_ Hmm, personally, I didn't peg him as being a magazine reader, but whatever. It's none of my business. _

Light was the number one student in their class, there was simply no beating him. Keiko had tried in the past but it was no use. She had eventually given up, but being rank two in the grade wasn’t that terrible. Being rank two meant that Keiko had all the perks of being a top student without having all the classroom duties of the rank one student. With that in mind, Keiko felt she was the true winner. 

The girl watched him from afar. While the two were friendly at school, she didn't see a point in going over there to say hello to him. Besides, Keiko wouldn’t admit it, but she had always felt a little shy around Light. Boys usually approached her first anyway, not the other way around. 

Keiko paid for her chips and decided to wait outside for her friends. Moments later, Akito and Maki walked out of the store, bags in hand. 

Keiko smiled at her two friends. “It was nice seeing you two, but I should probably head home now. It’s getting rather late.” 

“Us, too,” Maki responded, gesturing toward Akito. “See you at school, Keiko-chan.”

The three girls said their goodbyes, and Keiko’s two friends soon headed off in their respective directions. Keiko was just about to leave as well when a group of three loud motorcyclists pulled up. The motorcyclists surrounded a young woman who appeared to be not much older than Keiko herself. She had been walking alone in a red dress towards the convenience store. An easy target. 

“Hey baby!” One of the men called out. He appeared to be the leader of the group. “Where are you goin’? Would you like to have some fun with us?”

The woman looked startled as she paused to look at the man addressing her. Keiko could tell from the woman’s stiff body language that she clearly wasn’t interested. Yet, what could she do? She was surrounded. Overpowered. 

Keiko could feel herself freeze as well as she watched the situation unfold. 

_ Uh oh...I have a feeling this won’t end well… _

One of the groupies let out a rather wolfish whistle. “That’s our Takuo! This guy can spot a hottie a mile away!” 

“Damn right! The name’s Takuo Shibuimaru! Why don’t you come with me and my friends for a ride, eh? How does that sound?”

“Please. I don’t want any trouble-” The woman started to say, but Takuo cut her off. There was fear in her eyes and her body trembling. 

“Ya hear that, boys? She doesn’t want any trouble. Now, now...isn’t that cute?” He cooed, running a dirty finger down the woman’s body. 

Keiko shuddered, her eyes transfixed on the scene playing out before her. She wanted nothing more than to run over there, to come to the poor woman’s defense. However, what could she do alone against three strong, older men? Keiko decided to go with plan B. Her hand was deep in her purse, rifling through its contents in an attempt to find her cell phone. Trying to find her cell phone without looking down was proving to be a rather difficult task, but she didn’t want to look away from the situation in front of her. She was worried that, if she looked away, she would miss something important.

After what felt like forever, Keiko managed to pick up her cell phone. She was about to dial the police when all of the sudden, the woman in the red dress pushed Takuo aside and ran for it. 

In the matter of seconds that followed, Takuo jumped on his motorcycle in an attempt to chase her down when a truck appeared on the streets in front of the convenience store. A truck that was driving right towards him. 

“Watch out!” One of Takuo’s cronies called out. 

It was too late.

Keiko watched as the horrifying scene played out; the truck, unable to stop in time, ran straight into the motorcyclist with a sickening snapping sound as the man’s body made contact with the pavement below. 

She watched as the blood pooled on the ground, staining it a deep shade of red. The last few minutes had been a blur to her. Everything had happened so fast. Way too fast. Feeling a little queasy, Keiko turned around. She found herself face to face with her classmate, Light Yagami, who looked just as shocked and horrified as she did. 

Keiko opened her mouth to speak, but was unable to form any words. Even though she had turned away, the sight of the man’s crumpled body still replayed in her head. 

_ Human life is precious. One second you’re alive, and the next second you could be gone.  _ Keiko’s stomach lurched,  _ oh god. I just knew something bad was going to happen.   _

The girl was snapped out of her reverie by Light, who had ever so slightly placed his hand on hers. She could feel the warmth emitting from his soft skin. Keiko’s eyes wandered upwards as she looked up at her classmate. “W-what?”

“There’s not much we can do just standing around. The store’s clerk already called the police, and an ambulance is also on the way. We should go home.” Light replied, slowly releasing her hand. Keiko realized he was right. She could hear the sirens in the distance, signaling that help would arrive soon.

“R-right.” Keiko swallowed hard. “But we?”

Light walked forward, gesturing for Keiko to follow him. “Yes, we. I know we aren’t particularly close outside of school, but given what happened, I can’t let you walk home alone. Besides, if I remember correctly, your neighborhood is pretty close to mine.”

“Fair enough.” Keiko walked forward as well, falling into step with her classmate. “Thank you, Light-kun.”

The two walked side-by-side in silence. Keiko was still attempting to process the previous events. One moment she was saying goodbye to her friends, and in what felt like mere seconds later, the man on the motorcycle had been run down. 

_ Karma sure does work fast sometimes. _

Keiko never expected that Light Yagami would ever be walking her home. Then again, she never expected that she would see a man get hit by a truck in front of her either. Given the current situation, Keiko was glad she didn’t have to walk home alone. She supposed it was lucky that Light had been there. He was known for being dependable, someone that others could count on. 

“Thanks again.” Keiko’s hand wrapped around her door handle and she did her best to offer her classmate a smile. “I hope you get home safe yourself.”

Light gave a nod. “It’s no problem. Don’t worry about me, Keiko-chan. I’ll be okay.”

The girl thanked her classmate once more and the two of them said their goodbyes before she stepped inside. She had truly never been so glad to be home in her entire life. It had been a long day. All she wanted was some peace and quiet in order to recuperate from the horrific events of earlier that evening. Unfortunately for her, her life would never quite be peaceful or quiet again.


	2. Chapter Two:Debt

Ever since that night, all Keiko kept hearing about on the news was death, death, and even more death. Criminals were dropping dead left and right nearly every day now due to heart attacks. There was no way that these heart attacks were just mere coincidences, and she wasn't the only one who thought that way. Everyone agreed that someone had to be killing the criminals off, and the unknown murderer was given the nickname of Kira. Keiko, an aspiring private investigator, was keeping notes of every single death, hoping to find some sort of hidden clue as to who this Kira person was.

Ever since that night, when Keiko would get back from cram school, she kept note of any new Kira victims. Tonight, however, was different. Keiko's friends had managed to convince her to leave the house and go shop around with them.

Keiko wasn't quite sure why she had agreed to it. She had planned on making an excuse and skipping out, but after the events at the convenience store and the Kira killings, she thought perhaps it would help her clear her head.

“It's a shame you skipped out on the speed dating party,” Maki said to Keiko as they looked through clearance racks at a department store, “when I was there, I got not one phone number...but two phone numbers from totally cute guys!”

Keiko laughed, “that's great, Maki-chan. I'm happy for you.”

“Why didn't you go?” Akito asked quietly, “was it because of what happened at the convenience store that night?”

Keiko sighed, “well...what happened that night was pretty scary…” she shuddered, imagining the guy in her mind once more. She felt a little sick at the image, but pushed it away, continuing on, “but no, what happened that night isn't why I didn't go. I was just busy, that's all.”

“Busy doing what?” Maki asked, inspecting a pink shirt.

Keiko bit her lip, deep in thought, “I'm sure you guys have heard of this Kira, killing criminals and all that. You guys know I want to be an investigator, and I figured why not try and start investigating now? So I've been keeping track of who Kira kills and when, seeing if I can find any clues as to who this Kira is.”

Maki looked at Keiko like she was crazy but Akito had this far off gaze in her eyes, “it's because of your father, right? You want to be an investigator like he was, so you're using this Kira person to test your skills. How admirable.”

“Still...shouldn't you leave that to the real investigators? I mean, you are still just a high school student after all...you should be having fun while you're still young,” Maki commented.

Keiko shrugged, “I mean, I am still having fun. I'm with you guys right now, aren't I?”

“True,” Maki replied, “but still...hmm...we should get Keiko-chan another boyfriend, right? Someone better than Daicho-kun.”

Akito smiled, “right.”

Maki put the shirt back on the rack, grabbing Akito and Keiko's hands, “I have a plan,” she announced, leading them over to the nearest cafe.

“What are we doing here?” Keiko asked, looking around.

“Boy watching!” Maki announced, clasping her hands together, “we're gonna spot the perfect guy for Keiko-chan!”

“She's a little too enthusiastic, isn't she?” Akito grumbled to Keiko.

Keiko nodded.

The three of them had sat down, ordered drinks, and were surveying the area for boys. Keiko had to admit, for the first time in the last few days, she was having some real fun. Maki's taste in guys were much different than Keiko's, and every time she would point out a guy she liked, Keiko could only laugh.

“Doesn't he look familiar?” Akito commented, pointing to a guy nearing the cafe. As soon as Keiko got a good look at him, she gasped.

There her ex boyfriend was, in all of his glory, walking towards Keiko and her friends. She could feel her heart sinking because he wasn't alone. Right next to him was who Keiko could only assume to be his new girlfriend, whom Keiko noted was quite pretty.

“What a prick, he cheats on you and then flaunts his new girlfriend right in front of you a few months later,” Maki spit out.

“It's just a coincidence,” Akito quietly replied, “a horrible coincidence that he just happened to be here at the same time we were.”

“Shh, he's coming over here,” Keiko hissed at her friends, “try to be cool. Act natural.”

Daicho smiled once he reached Keiko and her friends, “Keiko-chan, how nice to see you again.”

Keiko resisted the urge to roll her eyes, “Daicho-kun, how nice to see you again as well. Who is this?”

Daicho looked so smug as he introduced his new girlfriend, “this is Hana-chan, we've been together a couple of months now. She's just so cute, I can't believe I got so lucky.”

His girlfriend smiled at him, and Maki fake gagged. Keiko shoot her a look.

“Are you dating anyone?” he asked Keiko. The look he was giving her made Keiko realize she couldn't lose to him. She wanted to wipe that smirk right off his face.

Before one of her friends could answer for her, Keiko replied, “as a matter of fact, I am.”

She could feel Maki and Akito's stares, but she brushed them off and continued on, looking around. She spotted Light Yagami walking alone and smiled, praying her plan would work properly, “he's here right now. I told him to meet my friends and I.”

She called out to Light, and once she got his attention, she ran over to him, “please, don't freak out and go along with this for my sake,” she whispered into his ear.

Before Light could say anything, she leaned forward, closed her eyes, and gently kissed him. She could feel his shock, but much to her delight, he didn't push her away. Light kissed her back. Keiko pulled away after a moment, and grabbed Light's hand, pulling him over to where the rest of the group was, “Daicho-kun, Hana-chan, meet my boyfriend, Light Yagami.”

The look on Daicho's face was priceless. Keiko's plan had worked!

After a couple minutes of polite chatter, Daicho and his girlfriend left, leaving Keiko with some explaining to do.

“Keiko-chan, I must admit, you're smart and pretty, but last time I checked, we weren't together,” Light replied tartily once they left, “so if you don't mind, what the hell just happened?!”

Keiko grimaced, “i-it's quite a story.”

“We'll, uh, let you two talk!” Akito squeaked, grabbing Maki's hand and pulling her away.

Once Akito and Maki left, Keiko told Light about her ex boyfriend, how she met him at a blind date, how she fell for him, and how she found out he was cheating on her.

“It was humiliating how he broke up with me, h-he basically left me in the dust for another girl, for Kiyomi-chan. I'm sorry, I know it's wrong of me to lie, but I wanted to wipe that smirk off his face when I saw him today. When I saw you, I knew you'd help me, w-well maybe that's rather bold of me to say. I was hoping you'd help me, like you did when you walked me home that night. Thanks, Light-kun, for going along with my lie and letting me w-well...you know..." she gestured to his lips, feeling herself turning red, "w-when he broke up with me, he you know, kissed Kiyomi-chan in front of me. So I was just trying to do what he did to me in front of him. Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth type thing. I see he's dating a new girl now, though...I wonder if he cheated on Kiyomi-chan with Hana-chan...but anyway, I'm rambling and that's none of my business.”

Light listened to her patiently, and he raised an eyebrow once she finished explaining, “you know, Keiko-chan, my services come at a cost-”

“O-of course!” Keiko replied, “for helping me out, I owe you big time. Whatever you need, I'll help you with...as long as it's not perverted...of course.”

Light smirked, “oh? And kissing me wasn't perverted on your end?”

Keiko felt herself turn red again, “I-I'm sorry. Oh no! Please don't tell me that was your first kiss!”

 

Light's POV:

 

Light laughed, but inside he was a little annoyed at her comment, “please, Keiko-chan. Someone as popular with the ladies as I am? Don't worry, you didn't steal my first kiss.”

The wheels were turning in Light's mind, he hadn't planned on having any further interaction with Keiko, but this presented him with an opportunity. An opportunity that he couldn't waste, now he knew that if he needed to, he could call upon Keiko for something.

He heard Ryuk laughing behind him, “hyuk hyuk, you humans sure are pretty funny. You keep running into this girl, don't you? I wonder what favors you have in mind for Keiko-chan. You aren't going to end up killing her, are you?”

_ Don't be ridiculous, _ Ryuk, Light thought, _ she's innocent, and unless she ends up getting in the way of things, which I doubt, it should be fine. _

Keiko laughed, and Light could see how relieved she looked, “w-well, thanks again. Sorry I dragged you into my personal business. If you need anything, you have my number, right?”

He nodded, “yes. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some business to attend to.”

“Right, of course,” Keiko replied, and the two of them said their goodbyes.

“What were you doing out anyway?” Ryuk asked him once she was out of earshot.

“I have to get supplies to hide the notebook, remember?” Light reminded Ryuk, “you told me that if someone else touches the notebook they'll be able to see you, so I have to safeguard it.”

“How're you gonna do that?” Ryuk asked him, laughing, “the hardest issue people have is with hiding the notebook."

“Just keep watching. I'll show you. Things are about to get even more interesting.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Longer chapters to come in the future! (trust me...) But, what do you think so far?


	3. Chapter Three: Confrontation

 

“Now can you tell us what that was all about the other day?” Maki asked Keiko. Her hands were on her hips, an accusatory look was on her face. Right next to her, Akito didn't say a word, but Keiko could still see the question in her eyes. The three were up in Keiko's room, and were supposed to be working on homework together, but not a lot was actually being done.

“Right. To be honest, I am surprised that Light-kun went along with it, but now I owe him a favor...anyway well I didn't want to face Daicho-kun without having a boyfriend myself, not after the mess that was our break up a few months ago. I didn't want you guys to tell him I was single, and I saw Light-kun walking in the distance, so I used him as my scapegoat. I whispered in his ear asking him to please to go along with it, and well the rest is history…”

“So you're telling us that you KISSED golden boy Light Yagami and pretended that he was your boyfriend in front of your EX and he went ALONG with it?” Maki was nearly screaming now, and Akito's eyebrows shot up.

“I can't believe it,” Akito muttered, “well, he is a nice guy. From what I've observed, at least.”

“Yeah, well as I said, now I owe him big time for saving my life,” Keiko replied, “though I don't know what that'll be yet or when. Not sure how I'll be able to help Light-kun out either, it's not as though I can help him with school work, we're basically at the same level there. He has no trouble with girls, and everybody likes him.”

“That's just it, you're never gonna be able to pay him back for his heroic actions,” Maki cooed, and Keiko pinched her arm.

“Ouch! I'll get you for that!” Maki replied, and Keiko dodged a return blow.

“Guys, peace and love,” Akito murmured, and Keiko and Maki stared at each other before working together to attack her. Akito was unable to keep a straight face. She started to giggle, hitting the remote as she did so, turning on the T.V. in Keiko's room.

“We'd like to apologize for the interruption,” the anchorman said, “as of now, we are bringing you a live worldwide broadcast from Interpool's ICPO. We now take you live to the ICPO.”

“Keep the T.V. on,” Keiko cried, grabbing her notebook, “this has to be about the Kira case, I'm sure of it!”

“I still think you're weird for keeping tabs on this, but I have to say, I'm interested in hearing about the Kira case as well,” Maki said, handing Keiko her notebook filled with her investigative notes.

“Shhh, guys, it's starting,” Akito said, her eyes glued to the television. There was a guy on screen, with dark hair and matching dark eyes, the name card in front of him read Lind L. Tailor.

“I head up a national police task force, which includes all member nations,” the guy on the screen says with a serious expression on his face, “I am Lind L. Tailor, otherwise known to the world as L.”

Keiko gasped, “no way, it can't be! L's never shown his face before, could this mean he's really serious about this Kira case?”

“Maybe,” Maki replied, “anyway shut up, I wanna hear what he says next.”

“Criminals around the world are being murdered by a serial killer, I have no doubt about that. I consider this crime to be probably the most atrocious act in history. I will not rest until the person or persons responsible are brought to justice. Kira, mark my words, I will hunt you down. I will find you.”

Lind L Tailor had a glint in his eyes, “Kira, I have a good idea of what your motivation might be and I can guess what you hope to achieve. However, what you are doing right now is evil.”

He stopped talking, and stared straight into the camera, it was a direct challenge to Kira. He was quiet for a few seconds as he let his words sink in. A few seconds later, he was suddenly grabbing at his chest, moaning in pain.

A few more seconds passed, it appeared he was dead.

“No way,” Keiko muttered, “it can't be…”

For once, Maki was speechless as well, and Akito grabbed both her friend's hands and gave them a little squeeze. “He can't really be dead, can he? I mean, Keiko, you told me that he was the best investigator in the world. He has to be acting, right?” she whispered.

A few seconds later, after they wheeled him off the screen, a voice started to speak again. The background this time was a grayish white, and the gothic lettering of the letter L appeared on the screen.

“I-I had to test this just in case but I never thought it would actually happen. Kira, it seems you can kill people without having to be there in person. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't just witnessed it. Listen to me, Kira, if you did indeed kill Lind L. Tailor, the man you just saw die on television, I should tell you that he was an inmate whose execution was scheduled for today. That was not me. The police arrested him in absolute secrecy so you wouldn't have seen him on T.V. or heard about him on the internet. It appears that not even you has information on these criminals. But I assure you, L is real and I do exist. Now, try to kill me!”

A few seconds of nothing passed, “what's wrong? Right now, kill me do it!...what's the matter, can't you do it? ....well Kira, it seems you can't kill me after all. So there are some people you cannot kill. You've given me a useful hint.”

The girls were glued to the televisions screen. Keiko noted that there were some people that Kira couldn't kill, and that when he killed Lind L. Tailor that he had his face and his name available on the screen. She would write that in her notes after the broadcast was over.

L continued on, “I'll tell you something that I think you will find interesting. Although this was announced as a worldwide broadcast, the truth is, we are only broadcasting this in the Kanto region of Japan. I had planned to broadcast this message around the world until I found you, but it looks like that won't be necessary. I now know where you are. The police treated your first killing as an unrelated incident but in actuality the first of your victims was a suspect in Shinjuku. Of all the criminals who have died of heart attacks, this one's crime was by far the least serious, furthermore, the crime was only ever reported inside Japan. I used that information to deduce this much, you are in Japan and your first victim was little more than an experiment, which means that you haven't been killing for very long. We decided to broadcast in Kanto first because of its large population, and luckily, we found you. To be perfectly honest with you, I never expected that things would go this well. It won't be too long now until I am able to sentence you to death. Naturally I am very interested in how you are able to conduct these murders without being present, but I don't mind waiting a little bit longer. You can answer all of my questions when I capture you. Let's meet again soon, Kira.”

“Wow, I knew this L guy was amazing but that was...amazing,” Keiko muttered, opening up her notebook to write down what L had said in his broadcast.

“You have a way with words, my friend,” Maki muttered and Keiko stuck out her tongue at her. Maki and Akito started to talk more about the case, meanwhile Keiko studied her notes, trying to find any other correlation that L might not have covered during the broadcast.

_ It's unlikely that he would reveal everything outright, that's not like him, there has to be something else about the case he didn't publicly discuss. _

She went back to the start of her notes, and looked at the times of death of the victims, noticing the clear pattern.

_ Looking at this, it could be possible that Kira could be a student. No way...could a student really be a murderer? Then again, does being a murderer really have an age limit? I wish I could personally help L capture Kira, _ she thought.

 

Light's POV

 

Light was walking home from his cram school, Ryuk following him close behind.

“Light, you got a second?” Ryuk started, and Light sighed, clearly a little annoyed. He was still upset that L had bested him on live T.V., and was thinking of the best way to get in contact with L without suspicion. He had to figure out a way to get rid of him. The sooner, the better.

“Ryuk, I already told you, you can't talk to me in public. How many times do I have to tell you?”

“In that case, I'll talk, you just listen,” Ryuk started, “if you don't want to hear me you can plug your ears or something. First of all, I don't have anything against you. I actually think the notebook couldn't have been picked up by another person. I'm here 'cuz I have to stick around until the Death Note is finished, or I see you die, whichever comes first. But make no mistake, Light, I'm not on your side or L's side.”

Light glanced behind him real quick, speaking softly, “yeah well I knew that much already.”

Ryuk continued, “you'll never hear me say anything about whether what you're doing is right or wrong. I'm not here to support you or give you my opinion, I'm just a spectator. But as your roommate, I might have a few things to say now and then.”

“What's this about, Ryuk? Why are you telling me about all this stuff anyway? It's not like you.” Light questioned, trying to keep a neutral expression on his face.

“It's just, I'm no ally of yours or Kira, if you prefer. The only reason I'm going to tell you this is because personally, it's starting to creep me out.”

“Get to the point already,” Light commented, annoyance coursing through him once more.

_ Damnit Ryuk. I know you're not on my side or L's side. Now just say what you want to say already! _

Ryuk laughed a little, “you're being followed by another human. He's watching you right now.”

Light stopped in his tracks a moment, trying to quickly collect his thoughts.

“It's really starting to get on my nerves! I realize that there's no way he can see me but because I'm always following behind you wherever you go, I feel like I'm constantly being watched!”

“That's a problem. I'll have to get rid of him as soon as possible,” Light muttered out loud, continuing to walk again.

Light pondered the best way to go about getting rid of the person tailing him on the rest of his way home. When he got home, he laid on his bed, “above all, I need his name. Then I can get rid of him.”

Ryuk laughed, and started to explain to Light the differences between a human's eyes and a shinigami's eyes.

“Ryuk, this deal is...out of the question. Giving up half of my remaining life span is too much. Let's get this straight. My goal is to create a world free of criminals and all evil, and I intend to reign as a god in that world for a very long time. I might consider the deal if it would lengthen my life, but not if it shortens it. I can't do that. I should think that you would me by now.”

“I figured you'd say that, but I just wanted to tell you so you didn't complain that I didn't tell you later on,” Ryuk responded. “So, if you are not going to use the eyes then how do you plan on getting this guy's name?”

Light smirked, “why Ryuk, why should I spoil the fun? Just keep on watching. You remember the favor that Keiko-chan owes me?”

Ryuk laughed, “what's she got to do with it?”

“Oh, you'll see, you'll see.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> slowly but surely, getting there...heh.


	4. Chapter Four: Date

 

Keiko never expected that she would wake up the next morning to her cell phone ringing. Eyes still closed, she felt around her desk, grabbing the offending object. It was way too early in the morning for her to properly function.

“H-hello,” Keiko stifled a yawn as she picked up, wondering who could be calling her so early in the day.

“Oh, I'm sorry. Did I just wake you up?” the voice on the other side said, “it's Light Yagami.”

Light! Keiko's eyes immediately snapped open as soon as he said his name. This was the first time he was calling her, and she guessed that it had to be about the favor she now owed him.

“Yeah, but it's fine, I guess,” she grumbled, “what's up?”

“I was thinking the other day...I figured out how you can repay me for helping you out with your ex situation…” Light started to say. He trailed off, and Keiko figured he was trailing off on purpose to pique her interest. She had to admit, it was working.

Keiko sat up in her bed, “How? How can I help the oh-so-great Light Yagami?”

“Free up your schedule today and go on a date with me,” he simply replied.

Upon hearing his response, Keiko's eyebrows shot up in confusion. A date with Light was one of the last things she expected, “y-you want to go on a date? With me?”

“Why do you make that sound so impossible? Are you going to act shy now that you've already stolen a kiss from me? I was just thinking and your ex boyfriend believes that we are dating, so why not actually go on a date together?”

Keiko could feel herself turning red. A date! With Light Yagami! She hadn't considered him in that way before, but she couldn't deny he was attractive. The other girls in her class would be envious if they knew.

When she didn't respond right away, Light kept on going, “you do want to repay me for helping you out in your time of need, don't you?”

“O-of course!” Keiko replied, “but are you su-”

“Great, then it's settled,” Light interrupted before she could say anything else, “I'll come by around two o'clock, sound good?”

“Y-yeah,” Keiko stuttered out, clearly defeated, “I'll see you then.”

“Great. I'll see you then,” and with that, Light hung up.

Keiko put her phone down and nearly jumped out of her bed, heading straight towards her closet. She now had a date to get ready for.

_ /timeskip/ _

True to his word, at exactly two o'clock, Light Yagami rang the doorbell. He was dressed in a casual gray t-shirt, paired up with black slacks, which Keiko thought fit him rather well. She had opted for a floral blouse paired up with fitted blue jeans, cute but simple. Light smiled, looking her over.

“You look nice,” he commented, “are you ready to go?”

Keiko nodded, and the two fell in step together. He hadn't mentioned where he was taking Keiko at all, but she didn't mind the mystery. It was all a part of the fun. He escorted her to the bus stop, ushering her to the back of the bus. He let her take the window seat.

“What a gentleman,” Keiko remarked.

“But of course,” Light replied, looking straight ahead as the bus started moving. Keiko tried to hold some polite conversation with him, but she had to admit she didn't feel like she had his full attention. He seemed a little distracted.

_ No way...he isn't nervous being with me, is he? ...no, that can't be it, he's used to girls fawning over him. It has to be something else. But what? _

“Light-kun, is something wrong?” Keiko asked, at this point the bus was almost at the next bus station.

“I'm fine,” Light replied, “don't worry.”

Before Keiko could reply the bus came to a complete halt, and the front door of the bus opened. Keiko lifted her eyes to the front of the bus when she heard someone new now ascending the steps. The first thing that she noticed about the man was that his eyes looked bloodshot, and his hair was sticking up in all sorts of crazy directions. Everything about the man just screamed that something terrifying was about to happen.

Keiko swallowed hard, a bad feeling settling deep in her gut. Beside her, she could feel Light stiffen up, as if he knew something was about to happen as well.

Her suspicions were confirmed as soon as the man opened his mouth to speak, "ladies and gentleman, stay in your seats unless you wanna die," the man started, taking a gun out of his coat and aiming it at the driver of the bus, “this is a bus jacking!”

There were several gasps inside of the bus, and Keiko felt nearly sick to her stomach. She could sense the collective panic of the passengers around her.

“Shut up, damn it!” The man said, “nobody even make a damn move unless they want me to blow their head off!”

He waved his gun in the direction of the passengers of the bus wildly for a moment before returning his attention to the bus driver, the rest of the bus becoming silent with fear. The man was striking up a heated conversation with the bus driver, but because they were in the back of the bus, Keiko couldn't quite hear what was going on. The investigative side of her, even though she knew she was in great danger, was dying to come out.

Keiko tried to quietly sit up and crane her head to see what was going on up front when she felt Light's hand tug the side of her shirt.

“Don't draw any attention to yourself,” he hissed out of the corner of his mouth. Keiko slowly sat back down on her seat, watching as Light carefully dug out a piece of paper from his pocket and scribbled a few words onto it.

A few seconds later, after he had finished, he passed the paper to Keiko, who quietly read it, “Don't worry, Keiko, it'll be okay. My dad's a policeman and he's taught me what to do in emergencies like this. As soon as he turns around, I'm going to pin him down and grab the gun out of his hand. He doesn't look that strong, trust me, I'm sure I can do this.”

Keiko's eyes widened as she read the note and she was about to open her mouth to protest when another voice from behind them whispered, “don't. That's way too risky.”

Startled, Keiko looked behind her, at the source of the voice. Right behind them was a man leaning forward in his seat, his black hair was sticking to the beads of sweat rolling down his forehead. He tugged at the collar of his shirt, “let me take care of this.”

Keiko glanced back at Light, who had crumpled up the piece of paper and put it back into his pocket, “do you have any proof that you're not just his accomplice? Why should we trust you?”

Light had a point, there was a possibility that the man behind them was working with the man who had gotten on the bus, as scary as that thought was. Keiko bit her lip, and glanced back at the man behind them, who sighed in defeat.

He reached into his coat pocket and took out a badge, handing it to Light. Keiko fought a gasp, he was a part of the FBI?! What someone from the FBI doing sitting behind them? Did the FBI agent suspect that something was going to go wrong today?

Her thoughts were broken by Light, who handed back the man's badge and said, “I trust you...and I guess for the time being I won't ask what an FBI agent is doing on this bus in the first place. Do you have a gun?”

“Yeah I got one,” the man, Raye Penber, stated, “so if it comes down to it, know that you are in good hands.”

Light gave a slight nod and Keiko watched as the man at the front of the bus turned his attention back to the passengers. An older lady in the front had coughed, and he pushed the gun at the side of her head, “shut the hell up, you old hag! Do you want me to shoot you right here and now?!”

The old lady cowered in fear. The man grunted, and aimed his gun at the rest of the passengers, “the same goes to the rest of you guys!”

Light shifted slightly in his seat, and Keiko noticed as a slip of paper fell from his pocket.

_ No! If the gunman notices the paper and reads it, he'll know what Light was planning on doing! _

Keiko watched, her body now numb with panic, as Light cursed under his breath. He bent over in an effort to pick it up unnoticed, which didn't go so well.

The gunman pointed his gun at Light, “you there! Hold it, what's that paper? You thought you could be slick, didn't ya?!”

“L-light,” Keiko stuttered, her hand tugging ever so lightly on his shirt.

The man walked forward, “ya little smart ass...thought you could pull a fast one on me. Tch.”

He reached forward, grabbing the note from the ground and unraveling it, “what's this? Plans for a date today? How useless.”

He threw the slip of paper back at Light and Keiko breathed out a sigh of relief, so it hadn't been the note that Light had written just a few minutes ago, but plans for their date today.

The man looked like he was about to turn around again when he suddenly looked towards the very back of the bus and let out a blood curdling scream, “W-WHAT THE HELL IS THAT THING?! M-MONSTER!! HOW LONG WERE YOU HIDING BACK THERE?!”

Keiko turned her attention to where the man was pointing his gun at the back of the bus, but saw nothing unusual. There was nothing there but an empty seat.

_ What the hell?! Is this guy on some sort of drugs?! _

Just then, the FBI agent stood up slightly, his voice ringing out, “he's on PSP or something! He's hallucinating! Everybody, get down now!”

Keiko felt Light's arms wrap around her as the two hunched forward in their seat. She heard the man scream out more gibberish followed by a couple gunshots, which made a few people on the bus start screaming. Second later, she heard Raye stand up and walk forward, probably towards the gunman.

“Let me out of this bus! Let me off!” Keiko heard the gunman scream at the bus driver, who suddenly halted the bus. She felt Light straighten up, and she followed suit, though she could still feel the warmth of Light's arm around her back. Looking out of the window, she saw the man rush out of the bus as soon as the driver opened up the doors, taking two steps at a time.

She could feel the nausea creeping up on her as she saw a car speeding towards the gunman, closing her eyes as she heard the sudden impact. There was no doubt in her mind that the man was dead. She thought back to the man on the motorcycle at the gas station.

_ Death is following me, isn't it? _

She shivered, and Light enveloped her into a hug, “it'll be okay, we're all safe now.”

Keiko knew that Light was probably right, but she still couldn't shake the eerie feeling that there was something more sinister going on. She tried to brush it off, breaking the hug, and attempting a smile at Light, though deep in her stomach, there was still that pit.

“Woah there, don't force yourself too much,” Light gave a curt laugh, “we should get out of here, don't you think?”

Keiko nodded, and she followed Light and the rest of the passengers getting off of the bus. When the FBI agent caught sight of them, he headed over, “listen carefully, you two, I came to Japan as part of a secret investigation so the local police can't find out that um...that I…”

“I understand,” Light said, and he grabbed Keiko's hand, “and you understand too, don't you, Keiko-chan?”

Keiko nodded, “we promise we won't tell anyone that we met you.”

“That includes my father, of course,” Light said.

Raye nodded, “good. Now if you'll excuse me, I must be going now.”

With that, he left, walking through the crowd, and after a few seconds, Keiko could no longer see where he had gone.

Keiko turned to face Light, “what do you mean your father? What does he have to do with this?”

The wheels in her head were turning. An investigation. A secret one, at that. It couldn't have something to do with the Kira case, could it?

“My father's the chief of police at the NPA,” Light explained.

“I see,” Keiko replied, “so if your father were to find out, it would lead to trouble for this agent.”

_ Why is this agent being so secretive? If it is the Kira case he's working on, shouldn't he want the help of the Japanese police? Unless...no, he can't be suspicious of them, can he? _

Light nodded, “whatever he's investigating, it must be pretty serious. We should stay out of it. Anyway, what do you want to do now?”

It was at this point that Keiko realized that Light was still holding her hand, and all thoughts of the Kira investigation slipped away. She couldn't hide the warmth from creeping into her face as she let go, “I, uh, should probably go home, I guess. I'm feeling pretty tired.”

It wasn't a lie. After all the events that had occurred in the past hour, Keiko felt pretty drained. She and Light walked to the next bus station, each of them wrapped up with their own thoughts. Light had an unreadable expression on his face, but on the inside, he was celebrating his victory.

  
  



	5. Chapter Five: Eavesdropping

 

L's POV:

“L,” Watari's voice came through the screen, “you have an incoming call from the director of the FBI.”

“Understood,” L replied, hitting a button on his keyboard and letting the call come through.

“L, it's me. I've got a report in front of me right now stating that all of our agents in Japan are dead. All twelve of them died of heart attacks. I can only assume that Kira is behind this. Look, I'm sorry but it's already been decided. We are calling off our investigation.”

L leaned forward in his chair, letting the words sink in, “I understand,” he replied, and simply hung up. He didn't see a point in any further conversation. The FBI had made their decision, which would mean that now the NPA probably knew that he had let the FBI investigate them. It was now time for damage control, and to put the next part of his plan into action.

“L, another call, from Mr. Yagami this time,” Watari informed him, and again L let the call come on through. He had been expecting this, especially after hearing the first call.

“L, I just got off the phone with the director of the FBI. According to him, it seems like you arranged for the FBI to come to Japan and investigate everyone here associated with the Task Force,” Mr. Yagami said, clearly a little aggravated.

“Yes, yes. I did,” L admitted.

“So how do you explain this? Are we now suspects in our own investigation?”

“I felt that it was necessary to uncover Kira's identity,” L said simply.

“I cannot accept that! I find it unbelievable that you would spy on us! The very people working with you on this case!”

L could hear as the police members in the background cursed him. However, it was necessary in order to weed out those that were weak and those that would stay in order to help with the Kira investigation. The less members, the faster and more effectively he could work with the rest of the Task Force. While the situation with the FBI agents dying wasn't ideal, it certainly was a good way to sort people out. He figured on something like this happening, Kira had gotten to the FBI agents, meaning that he had to be someone that he was investigating. That meant that L's hunch was right. He took a bite of his strawberry cake, and watched the scene at the NPA unfold before him, his thoughts focused on the investigation.

_ /timeskip/ _

After an hour and a half had passed, there were only a few regular policemen left, and Chief Yagami. L decided that his waiting was over, “the fact that you have chosen to stay proves that you all have a strong sense of justice here. I trust all of you.”

“Look, L, all of us have agreed to put our lives at risk in order to help further the Kira investigation. Do you get what that means?” one of the officers called out, “at this point, your trust means nothing.”

“We're out here like sitting ducks, names and faces available, while you're protected behind a computer screen! What reason have you given us so far to trust you? I don't see how you can expect us to work alongside you in those conditions,” another one chipped in.

“L, if all of us are going to work together on this investigation,” Mr. Yagami started, “and if you truly meant what you said about trusting the six of us, why don't you come here, so that we can all meet in person?”

L smiled, “you see, the thought had already crossed my mind. After all, I did say that I trusted all of you. I realize that, at this point, I have to now earn your trust. I am about to send you an email, once you receive it, please follow the instructions accordingly. Also, from now on, please call me Ryuzaki, just to be safe.”

He sent Mr. Yagami an email, with all the details of when and where to meet him. Things were about to get even more interesting. He was now one step closer to catching Kira.

 

Keiko's POV:

A week had passed since Keiko's almost date with Light. While the two had briefly talked at school, she hadn't had any real meaningful interaction with him since. She wasn't quite sure what to make of things in the romance department.

Her investigation with the Kira case wasn't doing too well either. By herself, there wasn't much she could do. She was certain that if the FBI were investigating in Japan without the National Police Association's knowledge then Kira himself must be Japanese, or at least residing in Japan.

Keiko had taken quite a large interest in the case, especially since it seemed there were almost constant new developments. Criminals were dying every single day, and she kept note of them all.

She wanted to be on a proper investigation force but she knew that she wouldn't be taken seriously, being a girl and only a high school student.

Keiko yearned to prove her worth, and it was one her dreams now to work alongside L, but she didn't know how to make it happen. It was honestly so frustrating to Keiko. She considered going to Mr. Yagami himself, but if she did, she would also have to tell Mr. Yagami that there were FBI agents in Japan and about her date with his son. There was no way Keiko could do that, as she had told Light and that agent that she wouldn't tell anyone about his existence in Japan.

Keiko sighed in frustration, she was on her way home from her cram school, lost in thought. She kicked a pebble that was in her path and watched as it hit the ground in front of her. There was no way that she could talk to Mr. Yagami, not right now at least. She didn't want to be the cause of tensions breaking out between Japanese police and the FBI.

While Keiko was crossing one of the streets near her house, she caught sight of Light Yagami himself. She quickly noticed that he wasn't alone, in front of him she recognized one of her classmates from their school, Yuri Takahashi.

Keiko, not wanting to be caught, hid behind one of the bushes behind where Light was standing, hoping that Yuri hadn't caught sight of her as she did so.

_ I should be safe here to watch them, right? As much as I hate to admit it, I'm way too curious to not listen in. But the chance of getting caught... _

There was no way that she wanted to run into them, it would make things more awkward than they already were. She crouched, trying to get as low to the ground as she possibly could while watching the scene play out in front of her.

“Light-kun, I was hoping that I would run into you,” she heard Yuri saying, a shy smile playing out on her lips.

She could see Light shift his weight ever so slightly, “oh yeah? Why's that?”

Yuri looked at the ground, a blush forming on her face, “I-I was wondering if you would like to go out on a date with me this weekend. That is, if you're not too busy…”

Keiko gulped, she had a feeling that Yuri was going to ask Light out. However, if Light said yes, what would that mean for her? Her date with Light was over before it was ever able to begin, it really wasn't fair.

_ Light asked me for a date and, due to what happened, he never got properly repaid for helping me out. _

That bus jacking ruined everything, she could still see the guy's face clear in her mind. She could hear him screaming as he talked about the imaginary monster in the back of the bus. She could hear the sound of the car as it ran him over. Keiko shuddered, trying to force the image away from her mind.

Luckily for her, Light's voice brought her back to reality, “oh...I'm sorry, Yuri-chan. I can't go on a date with you.”

Keiko covered her mouth with her hands in shock. She hadn't expected Light to turn her down so bluntly, however, she was glad that he did. It wasn't that she wanted to date Light Yagami exactly, but after what had happened, she felt that she at least deserved to have a proper date with him without a bus jacking and vehicular manslaughter.

“Why? Could it be...do you already have a girlfriend?” Yuri asked, and Keiko could see the disappointment written all over her face. Yuri must have really liked Light, which wasn't that much of a surprise. Basically all of the girls at school did.

“Y-yeah, I do. Sorry again,” she heard Light reply and Keiko had to stop herself from gasping.

_ If I make a sound, they might look over here! But, what does Light mean exactly? Does he mean me? Or was he trying to just make some sort of excuse? Ugh there's no way I can ask him, not without him finding out I was spying on him! _

“No, I'm sorry for bothering you. However, may I ask who?” Keiko heard the curiosity in her voice, Yuri wanted to know what sort of girl that Light Yagami was into.

“Ah, I'm sorry, but that's a secret,” Light said, and even though Keiko was behind him, she could easily bet that he was smirking as he said that, “now if you'll excuse me, I really should get going.”

With that, they said their goodbyes, and Keiko watched as Yuri started walking along again. She waited a few moments for Light to start walking as well. Much to her dismay, Light didn't move an inch.

_ Come on...I can't wait here all day! What's he waiting for? Move already. _

“You know, you really shouldn't spy on other people's conversations. It's not polite,” she heard him say and she froze.

How the hell did Light Yagami know that she was there? She had been behind him the whole time, and to top it all off, she was also hiding behind a freaking bush! What was with this guy? Did he happen to have some magical powers or something?

_ There's no more use in hiding now. He's caught onto me somehow... _

Slowly, Keiko stood up, stretching her back as she did so. Crouching in a bush was hard work, and now she had an aching back to show for it.

“How did you know?” she heard herself asking as she caught up to Light, now standing right beside him.

“I have my ways, you aren't that slick, you know,” Light responded, looking up at her, “but anyway, I suspect you have other, more important questions, not just how I knew you were hiding behind me.”

Keiko swallowed, “well, you told her that we were together. Er, not me specifically, but that you had a girlfriend…”

Light gave a little laugh, “I said that I had a girlfriend so that she would leave me alone in the future. If I had told her that I was busy, she would figure that she could ask me out again at another time. You didn't actually think...? Don't look so disappointed, Keiko-chan.”

Keiko lightly punched Light on the shoulder, “hey! I'm not disappointed! I guess I was sort of hoping...well, I guess I was hoping that we could have a proper date after what happened last time. That's all.”

Light looked thoughtfully into the distance, “I suppose it's only right that we have a second chance at a date, but entrance exams are right around the corner now...hmm, I know this maybe wouldn't count as a proper date, but perhaps you'd like to come over to study with me sometime? I mean, I was the one who asked you out originally, so that you could repay me. I think a study date sounds like a good way to do that, and there's no way someone could try and hijack my house.”

_ Of course, Light would be the person to suggest a study date as another way to repay him... _

“S-sure, who could turn down studying with the Light Yagami?” Keiko replied, laughing a little at his attempt at a joke, “anyway, I suppose we should really be heading home now.”

Light agreed, and the two said their goodbyes, both of them had a grin on their face as they walked. However, they were both smiling for different reasons, but Keiko didn't know that.

 

Light's POV:

“Hyuk, hyuk, aren't you glad I told you she was there, hiding behind the bushes?” Ryuk said once Keiko was safely out of earshot.

Light smirked, “yeah, for once you were helpful, Ryuk. I have to admit, when I first met her I didn't think that she was going to be this useful, especially once I got tangled up in the mess with her ex boyfriend. However, the fact that it put me in a position to call upon her for a favor was extremely useful. I'm sure that I'll need her help once more. I wouldn't put it past L to start monitoring the families of the Task Force again. Now if that ever happens, I know I have someone I can call to come over. A high school guy having a girl from school coming over for a study date? What's more normal than that?”

“Oh, so is that what you were thinking?” Ryuk replied, “wow you're really thinking ahead, Light.”

“Of course I am, I have to be,” Light laughed, “this is the perfect set up. Looks like yet again I will be able to provide you with some more entertainment.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dun dun dun duuuuunn~


	6. Chapter Six: Observations

 

 

 

Light's POV:

When Light got home from school that day he realized that, for once, no one was home. The house wasn't normally empty. This was the first thing that tipped him off. He was sure that if L were to make a move, then he would have someone from the Task Force strike when no one was home. That way, theoretically, the Yagami household would have no way of knowing that they were being watched and recorded. Light, however, had been expecting this. He was careful as he stepped inside and took his shoes off.

“I'm home,” he announced even though he knew he would get no answer.

It was all about putting on a good show now.

The first thing he saw when he got to the door to his bedroom was that the tiny slip of paper he had crammed in the door wasn't in the place he left it. The next thing he noticed was that the door handle wasn't the way he last left it, either. He then closely looked at the ground below, finding two small pieces of broken pencil lead on the floor, giving him the final clue.

Someone had been in his room, and Light was certain that same someone had bugged the whole household. There were definitely hidden cameras, and probably even listening devices.

_ It was just as I suspected...L's keeping surveillance now. Well, unfortunately for him, I saw this coming and I won't slip up. Just you watch, L, I will prove to you that I am no more than a brilliant high school student! _

He flopped on his bed, ignoring Ryuk, who was chattering away, begging Light to play some video game with him. While Light knew it had been a while since they last played, there was no way he could be seen playing video games with Ryuk. He had already given L a clue that shinigami existed, and that would just confirm to L that he was Kira.

_ Sorry, Ryuk, it's just not possible right now. _

“Hey, Light! Are you even listening to me?!” Ryuk demanded, he was now jumping up and down in front of Light in a vain effort to get his attention, “yoo hoo! Light!”

“Looks like no one is home,” Light muttered, getting up again. He went back downstairs, put on his shoes and coat again, and headed back outside. Ryuk followed him, still going on and on about how rude it was that Light was ignoring him. For being such a scary looking creature, he really was rather needy.

“Listen to me! There's a very strong possibility that there are video cameras and wiretaps all throughout the house...no, I'm sure of it, L's bugged the house,” Light explained once he was certain that he was far enough away from the house.

“Really?” Ryuk asked, “but that piece of paper was still in your door, wasn't it?”

Ryuk really didn't get it, “that's true but I left the paper in the door in such a way that it would be obvious to anyone entering the room, and that was found in a different position than when I last left it. Anyway, the real test was the door handle. When that door is closed, the door handle automatically goes to a horizontal position and won't go any higher than that. But, whenever I close the door, I adjust it slightly. Instead of letting it sit horizontally, I lower it by about five millimeters. Now this method alone isn't enough to tell me that someone was actually in my room, so I put a mechanical pencil lead in place as well.”

Ryuk laughed, “so much detail. It seems like you really thought about everything.”

Light stared forward as he replied, “well that much detail is necessary. First the slip of paper, then the door handle, and finally, the pencil lead. I can be certain that someone was in my room now.”

“It could have just been your mother,” Ryuk replied, yet again not bothering to see the point.

“I find that highly unlikely, Ryuk, as someone actually took the time to return the slip of paper back in the door. If it were my mother, I doubt she would have even noticed it was there in the first place. It's highly suspicious that someone went through all that trouble to put it back. The only explanation is that L finally decided to keep surveillance of the task force households...heh, now it's time for me to put my plan into action. Operation Light is a normal student is a go.”

“Oh yeah, Ryuk,” Light added after a moment, “now that I think about it, how are you going to eat your apples?”

At that, Ryuk started to quiver as he fully realized the implications of the cameras and wiretaps, “oh no!”

 

Keiko's POV:

Keiko hesitated a moment before finally gaining enough nerve to knock on the door. She hoped that she wasn't too early, but she figured Light wouldn't mind either way. He was, after all, the one that invited her over to study with him in the first place.

A few seconds later, she heard some footsteps and watched as an older woman with a gentle face, whom she assumed was Light's mother, answer the door.

“Oh, hello! You must be Light's friend, am I right?” She gave Keiko a friendly smile, holding the door open for her and motioning for her to come inside the house.

“Yes, I am. My name's Kagami Keiko, Light invited me over to study with him,” Keiko said, bowing her head as she stepped inside.

“Yes, yes, he told me that you would be coming over,” Mrs. Yagami replied, a sly smile working its way on her face, “Light! Your friend is here!”

“I"ll be down in a second!” She heard Light holler in return.

Light's house looked almost spotless, and she noted how warm and friendly the atmosphere felt. She watched as Light's little sister, whose name she remembered was Sayu, got up from her spot on the couch and headed towards her.

“He said there was a friend of his coming over, but he didn't mention that his friend was a girl,” Sayu cooed, “or that she was pretty.”

Mrs. Yagami gave a little giggle as her daughter approached Keiko, “now, now, Sayu, let's not cause a fuss.”

“Yeah,” a voice from behind them spoke, “and anyway, I'm sorry to inform you but she's just over here to study. You do remember that we have entrance exams coming up, right? Don't let your imagination run too wild.”

Sayu pouted. “Aww, studying, but that's no fun,” she commented, heading back over to where she previously sat on the couch, “but you know what is fun? Watching Hideki Ryuga's fan concert!”

“If you two need anything, let me know,” Mrs. Yagami said, “like some study snacks or some nice green tea.”

“I'm sure we'll be fine, but thanks mom,” she heard Light reply. Keiko turned around and saw Light standing on the bottom step of the staircase. He had a hand on his hips, and a mischievous smile on his face. He motioned for Keiko to follow him up the stairs to his room, and he apologized for his sister's behavior downstairs, “sorry about Sayu, she likes to be dramatic. And anyway, it's none of her business what we do.”

“Oh, it's fine. She's pretty cute,” Keiko said, “I wish I had a little sister. I'm an only child.”

Light chuckled, holding the door to his room open for Keiko. She stepped inside, carefully observing her surroundings. There was a large bookshelf that covered most of his wall behind the door, and to her other side was his bed, which she noticed was completely made. A few feet away right in front of her was his desk, which was neatly made up and comprised of a couple textbooks, a notebook, a pen, and a laptop. In front of his desk, next to his desk chair, there was an extra folding chair, which Keiko could only assume would be hers to sit at.

_ So this is what a teenage boy's room looks like. It's clean, like the rest of his house, but I guess that is to be expected. It is Light Yagami, after all. He doesn't seem like the kind of person that would make a mess. _

As much as Keiko would hate to admit it, she hadn't even been inside Daicho's bedroom. In fact, she had never been to his house at all, which looking back at now, should have raised a red flag for her. The two had only ever hung out in public or at Keiko's own house. Unfortunately, she only now realized how suspicious that was.

_ I was a stupid fool in love. It was no wonder he didn't take me home with him, he didn't want me to meet his family since that way it would have been harder for him to cheat on me. _

Keiko gave an uncomfortable cough, now realizing the full extent of the situation. She was alone in Light Yagami's bedroom, about to have a study date with him. Multiple girls in their class would have given anything to be in her shoes.

She knew that she should have been happy, out of everyone else in her class, Light Yagami had asked her if she wanted to have a study session with him. However all she could feel were the butterflies flying around in her stomach.

Light knew full well that she was only a rank behind him in school, and yet he had still followed through with what he said a few days ago about a study date. To Keiko, this could only mean that he actually  _ wanted _ to spend time with her. Neither of them really needed to study together, but he had insisted on it.

 

L's POV:

_ Hmm, what's this, he invited a girl over to study with him? Could this be because he knows he's being watched? Is he trying to act more normal on purpose in order to appear less suspicious to me? _

L shifted in his chair slightly, his gaze was fixated on the web camera that he had placed in Light Yagami's bedroom. He watched as the girl shyly followed Light, sitting down next to him at his desk.

Beside him, he could hear the chief grumbling, “I never told Light that he could have a girl alone in his room with him…”

“Yes, but you also aren't home to police him, besides, your wife seems fine with it. Please keep in mind that you cannot mention anything to Light now, or else he will know that we have been keeping an eye on him. And anyway, remember chief, your son is in his final year of high school, this kind of behavior isn't that unusual. In fact, it's almost to be expected of teenagers.”

“As always, you're right, Ryuzaki,” the chief sighed, “I can't stop my son from having a girl over now. At least even from afar, I can keep an eye on him, though.”

“Yes, yes, we'll be keeping a _ very _ close eye on him,” L commented.

He had to admit, of all of the people he was keeping watch over, Light Yagami was by far the most suspicious. He knew that the chief's son was quite intelligent, in fact, he was the rank one student at his school, and one of the brightest students in all of Japan. He also knew that Light wanted to follow in his father's footsteps, meaning that he had a very clear sense of justice. This also meant that Light also had access to private police documents, that is, if he went through his father's computer through their shared network.

L knew that there were no traces of Light going through private documents, but if Light had gone through any of them, he knew that Light would have been smart enough to cover his tracks.

He was interrupted from his thoughts when he heard Light say, “oh come on, Keiko-chan, don't get shy on me now.”

Light's arms were crossed, and there was a lazy smirk on his face, “wait...don't tell me this is the first time you've been alone with a guy in his room. I know you've had a boyfriend before.”

“Y-yes, but I was never at his house,” the girl replied.

The girl, who's back had been turned on him, or was too far away from the cameras to be properly seen, was now facing the camera that had been placed at eye level on Light's desk. She was looking straight down in the general direction of the camera, a blush forming on her cheeks. As soon as L got a clear look of her face, he gave a small gasp.

“Ah I see,” he heard Light reply, “well, don't worry. I promise I won't bite.” He lightly tapped her forehead with a pencil he was holding, which snapped her attention right back to him.

A few minutes later, the two got down to business and started studying. Meanwhile, L was trying to concentrate on why the girl's face looked so familiar to him.

I've definitely seen that face before...but where? And why?

“That girl. What did she say her name was again?” he asked the chief while still staring intently at the video feed. He was determined to find out everything he could about her.

The chief furrowed his eyebrows in thought, “Keiko Kig...no Keiko Kagami, yeah Kagami, that's it. Why? Why is the girl important, it's just my son you suspect, isn't it?”

Keiko Kagami...Kagami...wait a moment.

He hit his intercom, ignoring the chief's question, “Watari, please search your files for the last name Kagami…”

 

Keiko's POV:

_ /timeskip/ _

Light raised his arms above him, stifling a yawn as he did so, “I don't know about you, but I'm beat. How about we call it a night?”

Keiko nodded, trying to fight a yawn herself, “mmm, sounds good.”

While she had been nervous at first, her worries soon were forgotten as the two had gotten lost in the world academia. She found out that Light had the latest edition of the study guide that was supposed to help them get into To-Oh University, and they had spent nearly all evening going over each of the problems one by one.

Keiko stood up, getting all of her books together when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Keiko turned around, now face to face with Light. She set the books back down on his desk, watching him carefully as she did so.

“Wait, before you go, there's something I've been wanting to do,” he said, and Keiko could see the sly smile return to his face as he started to close the gap between them.

Keiko became increasingly aware of Light's close proximity to her, and she could feel her heart hammering away in her chest. She hadn't exactly had a crush on Light before, but given their current situation and all of their interactions lately, she had to admit that she found him now on her mind a lot, at least when she wasn't thinking about school, entrance exams, or the Kira case.

He was rather good looking, and she'd be lying if she said she wasn't in any way attracted to him, which was why she let him get ever so close to her. Keiko could feel the warmth of his body as he wrapped an arm around her back, pressing them closer together, their faces now inches away from each other.

Those few seconds felt like hours, and before Keiko could even properly process what was going on, Light had grabbed her face, and gently put his lips on hers, leaving no space between them. Her eyes closed, and she let herself kiss Light Yagami for the second time in her life. The only difference was that this time, it wasn't because of an ex boyfriend, but simply because she wanted to.

L's POV:

L watched as Light pulled in Keiko closer towards him. After a few seconds of them staring intently at each other, he watched as Light Yagami went in and slowly kissed her, earning a gasp from Light's father. An amused smile found its way onto L's face.

_ What an elaborate show he's putting on, it's like they are in a television drama or something. Light, you are a pretty good actor, I'll give you that. _

Meanwhile, beside him, Chief Yagami's face was slowly turning pinker and pinker as he realized what his son was doing. It almost looked like a vein in his forehead was about to pop at any moment.

“You know, it's not unusual for a teenage guy to kiss a girl he likes,” L said simply, popping a strawberry in his mouth, “you really shouldn't overreact so much.”

“But that's my son we're talking about!” Chief Yagami replied, clearly irritated, “besides, he's never shown this much interest in a girl before. This would be the first time he's ever brought one home.”

“Oh really? Is that so?” L replied thoughtfully.

_ The first time he's brought a girl home, eh? In that case, Light must really be putting on a show for me then. _

“Ryuzaki, the documents you asked for earlier are here,” Watari informed L via intercom.

“Ah, yes, what good timing, come on in,” L replied, standing up and heading towards the door. Watari stepped inside, handing the papers over to L, “it would appear that the girl's father used to be a rather prominent detective and private investigator, Hiro Kagami.”

“Of course!” L replied, the lightbulb going off in his head, “Hiro Kagami. I remember hearing his name before. There was an article in this newspaper about him," he picked up the old news article that Watari had brought in, showing it to Chief Yagami, who was now standing next to L.

"This is Keiko's father, Kagami Hiro-san. When he died a few years ago, this local newspaper had a special article dedicated to him, since he solved so many cases within the area. However, this is why I recognized his daughter, they have a photo of her in here, along with her mother,” he pointed out the picture to the chief, “you see, I remember every single face I come across, whether in print, on T.V., or in real life...now that I think about it, if Keiko is just like her father, then she must also share his sense of justice or, at least, his skills…”

“What are you suggesting?” The chief pressed, “do you think Light is dating this girl on purpose because of her father? Is that it?”

“Well, that could be it, but why go through all that trouble? More than most likely that's just a coincidence. However, since this girl and Light are close, and noting this girl's father, I would like it if we could keep tabs on her as well. For all we know, this girl could be Kira.”

Chief Yagami looked rather aghast at L's comment, “you can't be serious.”

“Oh but I am,” L said, “I say we have an agent tail her starting as soon as possible. If she proves to be innocent, then perhaps we can add her to the Task Force.”

_ In actuality, the chances of her being Kira are slim, even slimmer than Light's, but it's still a possibility that I would have to rule out before I could ever come in contact with her. If she proves herself to be innocent, and if she has even half the skills that her father had, perhaps maybe, just maybe, she could prove herself to be useful in this investigation. She would be a nice addition, and her connections with Light would make it even easier for us to spy on him. Either way, it's a win. _

  
  



	7. Chapter Seven: Examination

 

Keiko's POV:

There were only a couple more days left until the day of To-Oh's entrance exams. This was one of the reasons that Keiko had been on edge lately. The last couple of nights, Keiko and Light had been cramming together at his house, going through his To-Oh entrance exam study guide. While she knew that she was one of the top in her class, she also knew that To-Oh University was extremely selective with their prospective students.

The other reason she was so stressed? The fact that she was almost certain that she was being followed. Of course, she had no proof of this. However, as she walked home side-by-side with Light, she just felt like she had an unwanted audience.

Keiko actually had this feeling for the last few days, and made sure to be extra cautious when she was walking around and doing anything outside. When she was inside, she made sure that she kept the curtains in her mother's house closed.

She stopped dead in her tracks the second she swore she had seen something lurking around in the shadows behind her. However, when she looked back, there was no one there. Aside from Keiko and Light, the street appeared to be empty.

_ No. Someone had to be there that time, I heard the footsteps as well. There's no way I'm just imagining things... _

“What's wrong?” Light asked. He had finally noticed that Keiko had stopped, as she was no longer right next to him, but behind him. He turned around, watching as Keiko's face drained of its color, “are you okay? You look a little pale.”

Keiko knew that there was no way she could tell Light, not without sounding crazy, so she just shook her head, “I-I'm okay.” She forced a laugh.

While she knew Light didn't fully believe her, he also didn't push the matter further, which she was grateful for. Instead, he started to walk forward again, motioning for Keiko to follow.

“Let's keep going, don't worry, you're safe here with me,” Light said, and she hoped that he was right.

Keiko fell in step with Light once more, staying a little closer to him than she had before, and tried to ignore the bad feeling she had in the pit of her stomach. Luckily, they were almost to Keiko's house, so the rest of the walk home didn't take long.

Before she went inside, Light gave her a quick kiss on the cheek goodbye. While the two hadn't made anything official yet, it was clear to Keiko that they were a little more than just friends but not quite girlfriend and boyfriend. She had to admit, she rather enjoyed his company. Keiko hadn't bothered to get to know Light before. While the two were friendly at school, they hadn't talked much outside of school related topics. After hanging out with him so often, she realized they had much more in common than she originally thought.

As soon as Keiko was safely inside of her room, she quickly went to her windows and closed all of her curtains. Afterwards, wanting the day to be over, she went straight to bed.

 

Light's POV:

“Hyuk, hyuk, so this girl is being followed now too,” Ryuk commented as he and Light were walking home after dropping off Keiko, “L doesn't suspect her of being Kira as well, does he? Oh boy, this is so interesting! ...now that I think about it, are you going to kill whoever is investigating her, like you killed Raye and the other FBI agents?”

Light said nothing and walked on, he was lost in his thoughts, determined to do a little research once he got home. He was glad that there were no longer any cameras or wiretaps in his house, as double checked by a thoroughly exhausted Ryuk the other day. Light knew that there was no way L could frame Light of being Kira now when there was no evidence for it, so he was safe there.

_ However, why is L now investigating Keiko? Is it because she's close to me? I wouldn't think that L would go that far unless...is Keiko herself that significant? _

When Light got home, he went straight for his laptop, searching up Keiko's name. A few hits popped up, including records of academic achievements and school photos, but what stuck out to Light was the newspaper article. It appeared to be some sort of special obituary in one of the local newspapers from a few years ago.

He clicked on it, his eyes quickly scanning through the article, the wheels turning in his head.

_ Hm.. so Keiko's father was some hot shot investigator back in the day. Come to think of it, I think she's mentioned before she wants to become a detective herself...is this why L's investigating her? Wait, he doesn't want her to become a part of the Task Force, does he? He must be making sure that she isn't Kira first before letting her in. Did I make a mistake in getting close to her? If she starts investigating the Kira case with L and the rest of the Task Force, what if she starts to suspect me? Should I break things off with her? No, no I can't. If I suddenly stopped seeing her, that would make me look even more suspicious... _

Light read on, and pondered for a couple more minutes. He had to carefully consider his options before making a solid decision. What course of action would benefit him the most while being the least suspicious?

He could hear Ryuk laughing behind him. “Well, well, well, the plot thickens. Looks like you need to watch your step even more,” he commented.

_ Ryuk does have a point but...wait...no, I shouldn't be thinking so negatively. I've clearly been given a great opportunity here. If I can gain her trust, and make her really fall for me...I know that so far she has some interest in me, otherwise she wouldn't have kissed me back before. I still have a chance. _

He started to laugh, causing Ryuk to stare at him. “What's so funny?” he asked, biting into an apple.

“Think about it, Ryuk, really think about it,” Light replied, “L has to be investigating her because, in the end, he wants to recruit her for the Task Force. However, he's keeping an eye on her first to one, make sure that she isn't Kira, and two, he's making sure that he would be making the right choice in recruiting her. He knows that her father was a talented investigator and by tailing her, he is trying to gauge how good her own investigative skills are. She knew she was being followed tonight, and by the looks of it, she knew that she's been followed for at least a few days now. I have no doubt in my mind that he will end up trying to recruit her, which is another bonus for him as he knows that she and I have a close relationship.”

“So...how does this help you at all?” Ryuk asked, laying down on Light's bed.

“I was just getting to that,” Light smirked, “you see, me having a close relationship with her is the advantage. I'm already gaining her trust, and making her fall for me, so if I continue to gain her trust and make an ally of her, there's no way she would suspect me of being Kira. Of course, I also have to be careful not to make any sort of slip ups that would make it obvious that I am Kira, but so far, I've managed to be careful. As long as I continue to be careful, I don't really see that being an issue. Even L had to end his investigation here because there's no evidence that I'm anything more than just your ordinary teenage boy. If Keiko trusts me and she's working on the Task Force, then she would defend my name as long as there was no hard evidence. Also, how could I, her loving boyfriend, be Kira?”

“Hyuk, hyuk, so you admit you're dating her?”

Light chuckled, “well, the way things are looking, I might as well make it official soon, maybe sometime after the entrance exams. It appears it would be in my best interest to do so. Although, I need to be careful that I don't start actually falling for her myself. That would make things a lot more complicated on my end, I can't let myself have any weaknesses.”

Ryuk gave another low chuckle, “I see, hyuk, you humans sure are pretty complicated.”

 

Keiko's POV:

As promised, Light was there right on time to pick up Keiko. Today was the day the both of them had been waiting for, the day of the dreaded To-Oh entrance exams.

While Keiko was mostly confident, there was still a small part of her that was freaking out. She was silently going over the review in her head on the way there.

As if Light could sense her nerves, he said, “Keiko-chan, please don't tell me that you're nervous. I have no doubt that you'll make it. You are, after all, one of Japan's best and brightest, as am I. The two of us have nothing to worry about.”

“I suppose you're right,” Keiko replied, flashing a smile at him, “thanks, Light-kun.”

The two of them soon entered the classroom that they would be testing in. There didn't look to be any particular seating arrangement, so Keiko took a seat next to Light, who took a seat at the end of the first row. She watched as the rest of the students poured into the testing center, noting one girl in particular giving her a dirty look as she passed.

It took her a moment to realize that the girl was probably jealous that she was sitting next to Light, and watched as many other girls stared at Light as they were walking in.

_ I knew that he was popular but this is just ridiculous. On the off chance that Light properly asks me out, will these girls despise me just for being his girlfriend? I wouldn't put it past them. _

She was torn away from her thoughts when the proctor announced that the testing was about to commence. He was passing out exams face down to everyone in the room.

“You may begin right...now!” The proctor, a stern looking middle aged man, called out once he passed out the final exam.

Keiko soon found herself immersed in the exam. She finished the first page of the exam in only a couple minutes, earning her a few stares when she was one of the first people in the room to flip her exam over to the second page.

_ It's much easier than I thought it would be. If the rest of the test is this easy, then I'm sure I will get into To-Oh easily. Light was right, I shouldn't have worried so much. _

“Hey, you there,” the proctor called out a few minutes into the exam, “student number 162, please sit in your seat properly.”

Startled by the sudden voice, Keiko slightly turned around in her seat, catching sight of the student that was being called out. He was sitting near the back of the testing center, his seat aligned with Light's row.

He wasn't even sitting at all, instead he was crouched in his chair, with his thumb in his mouth. To top that off, he was dressed in saggy blue jeans complete with a plain white t-shirt. Keiko also noticed that he wasn't wearing any shoes, they were sitting untouched underneath his desk, revealing his bare feet. Instead of focusing on his exam, he was gazing somewhere else in the room, Keiko followed his gaze only to realize that he was staring at Light.

As if realizing that he now had an audience, he glanced over at Keiko, whose eyes widened as he gave her a lazy grin before focusing his attention back on Light. Keiko had to admit, while he clearly had weird habits, he wasn't that bad looking, sporting messy black hair and matching captivating dark eyes. He also didn't look more than a few years older than her.

_ What the...? He's not even dressed like a university student... and why's he so fixated on Light? Who is this guy? Ugh, wait no, I don't have time to think about this right now, I have an entrance exam to focus on...mind your own business, Keiko. At least until after the exam is over. _

Keiko attempted to stay focused on her exam, but in the background of her mind, she was still curious about a lot of things.

First of all, why was someone tailing her? Did they know she was keeping track of the Kira investigation? Also, what exactly was her relationship with Light? They were close, but still, labeless. Finally, who was that student sitting weirdly in the back, and what was his deal? She hoped that she would at least have one of these questions answered soon.

_ /timeskip/ _

“That was a piece of cake,” Light told Keiko as the two walked out of the testing center together, “you thought it was just as easy, right?”

Keiko nodded, “yeah, you were right, I shouldn't have worried so much.”

She was distracted, catching sight of a man in a loosely fitted black suit loitering near one of the busier hallways of the university. He looked like he was trying way too hard to fit in, which only garnered him more attention.

“We should celebrate, don't you think?” Light continued on, “how about we go out and grab a bite to eat soon? Or perhaps we could get some coffee together? We can make a date of it.”

“Mmm, sure, that sounds good,” Keiko replied, admittedly only half listening to Light. Her gut feeling was telling her that she needed to investigate this man. He stuck out like a sore thumb against the crowd in his suit, and he didn't look like a student. He looked more like he could have been some sort of student teacher, but there were no classes currently in session.

“Are you heading back home now?” Light asked, gesturing towards the bus station on the other side of the campus.

_ Sorry, Light, there is something I have to do right now. I can't be going home quite yet. _

She shook her head, “no, you go on without me. I think I'll stick around a while longer and explore the campus a bit more.”

“Oh, alright then,” Light gave her hand a gentle squeeze and planted a quick goodbye kiss on her cheek, much to the dismay of a couple female students who had been staring at them.

“I'll talk to you later,” Keiko responded, waving to Light as he walked on towards the bus station.

Once he disappeared into the throng of people, Keiko turned her attention back to the task at hand. She tried to make it look like she was just exploring the area when her real agenda was to get close to the guy in the suit.

He must have sensed this, because as soon as she was in the same hallway he was, he tried to make a run for it. However, it appeared he wasn't that graceful, and he ended up accidentally tripping over his own feet. Luckily for Keiko, she had more than enough time to catch up to where he was. When he finally stood up again, the two were face to face.

“You there, we need to talk. Are you the one that's been following me the past few days?” as she spoke, she could see the color drain from his face.

Before he could work up a reply, his phone started to ring. “I-I'm sorry, just a moment, please,” he stuttered out, reaching into his pockets and answering the phone, “hello, Ryuzaki-san?”

Keiko put her hands on her hips, watching the man's every move while he was on the phone. He seemed rather nervous, as if bracing himself for whomever was on the other end. There was a bead of sweat around the edge of his hairline, threatening to run down his forehead.

_ He looks like he's about to get chewed out. Is it because I caught onto him? He wasn't being very sneaky, it's the middle of the day and he's in a suit. Anyway, who is this guy? _

A look of relief crossed over the man's face, “yes, sir. I understand.”

After a few more seconds, the phone call was over.

_ Hmm. Looks like whatever the guy was bracing himself for didn't happen. Also this definitely has to be the man that was following me. He's just way too suspicious. I can't let him go today without an explanation. _

Turning his attention back to Keiko, the man said, “looks like you caught me. I, uh, I didn't quite expect our first meeting to be like this.”

He gave a nervous laugh, and continued on, “I'm Taro Matsui, I'm a member of the Japanese police force,” he took out his badge, letting Keiko take a good look at it.

_ If it's a fake, it's a rather good one. However, this man doesn't seem to be lying to me. From what I've seen so far, he displays his emotions way too clearly. It's obvious I caught him off guard as well. But it still begs the question... _

“Why is there a member of the police following me?” Keiko asked, squinting her eyes at him. There were so many thoughts reeling around in her mind.

The man, Taro Matsui, gave a little sigh, “look, about that, we need to talk. But it can't be here, obviously. And don't worry, you're not in trouble. Just follow me, I will take you to a secure location where we can talk easily in private.”

She bit her lip a moment, but she decided, overall, it was in her best interest to go with him. So, she followed him into the car that was parked a little ways away.

Keiko knew that it was dumb to go off with a stranger, it was like practically asking for a death wish. Although, she knew if she didn't go, she would regret it. Also, if this man really was who he said he was, then Keiko didn't have to worry about her safety.

All she knew was that she wanted answers, and she was willing to do just about anything in that moment to get them. 

  
  



	8. Chapter Eight: Debriefing

 

 

Keiko's POV:

Keiko stared out the window of the car, looking around at all the buildings and people that they passed on the way from To-Oh University to this secret and supposedly secure location.

She paid little mind to the man sitting beside her, Taro Matsui, who appeared to be occupying himself by attacking a loose thread on his suit.

Instead, she busied herself by thinking of all the questions she had she wanted answers to. She was also thinking about, in the worst case scenario, ways to try and escape. It was just in case this Taro Matsui wasn't who he said he was. He didn't look that tough, and Keiko was sure that, if need be, she could take him on pretty easily.

After a few more minutes of driving around the city, the car came to a halt in front of a luxurious looking hotel. The driver, a tall old man with a white moustache and glasses, got out of the car, and held the door open for Keiko.

She stepped out of the car, Taro Matsui following close behind her.

“Why are we at a hotel? Wait...there's not going to be any funny business, is there?” Keiko demanded, her arms crossed against her chest defensively, “you said-”

“No, no,” Matsui interrupted, and awkwardly laughed, “uh, it's nothing like that, I promise you. It's just...this is the safest location for us right now. One of my bosses decided that, due to recent events, the safest meeting place would be at hotels, rather than the police station itself.”

She sighed, letting her arms fall back down, “if you say so. I guess I have no choice but to trust you. However, you're dead if you're lying to me.”

Matsui just shook his head in response, “I swear, on my honor as a policeman, no harm will come to you.”

With that, the old man led the two of them inside the hotel and checked in at the front desk.

“Ah, yes, the master suite, room 507,” the receptionist said, handing the room key over, “I hope you enjoy your stay with us.”

Keiko followed in silence as the three of them made their way towards the elevator. The elder man led the way. Once they had arrived on the fifth floor, he turned to Keiko and Matsui and said, “please excuse me, I know she is probably harmless, but we must still follow protocol. Ryuzaki's orders. Matsui-san,” he nodded towards the younger man, “check her.”

“W-wha-?” Keiko choked out. Matsui gave her an apologetic smile, his face turning a little red as he frisked her. It was clear that he was somewhat flustered as he roughly passed his hands over her body, and he accidentally grazed her chest with his hand a little longer than was necessary, earning him a glare from Keiko.

“S-sorry,” he stuttered out before continuing on with his search.

“Yeah, yeah, I'm sure you are. Search me however you want, I guarantee you won't find anything suspicious,” Keiko grumbled as Matsui reached for her back next, quickly searching through its contents.

“I also have to ask that you turn off your cell phone,” he added, and Keiko reached into her pockets, pressing the button to turn off her phone. It gave a little chirp before shutting down.

“Anything else?” she asked him, she was clearly a little annoyed. He shook his head, still looking through her bag. Once he was thoroughly satisfied, he handed her bag back to her and gestured at the elder man to open the door.

It was the grandest hotel room that Keiko had ever been in, with four couches arranged in a square shape near the middle of what appeared to be the living room right in front of her. In the middle of the couches, there was a fancy looking end table.

“Sit, sit,” the older man told Keiko, gesturing over to one of the couches, and he told Matsui to stay with him for a moment to be briefed.

Keiko eyed the two men she was with wearily, but she still listened, and sat down. The two of them lingered by the door, speaking in soft, hushed tones.

She strained to hear them.

“Ryuzaki is on his way over from the university, he wanted to do a little more looking around before coming,” she overheard the older man say to the younger one, “he will be here shortly. Until then, he has instructed you to keep our guest comfortable while I set things up.”

“Understood,” she heard Matsui reply, and she quickly turned her head back when she saw Matsui was heading back in her direction.

She fiddled with her fingernails, trying to act as natural and composed as possible. However, on the inside, she was bursting with curiosity and the thought of having to wait even longer for answers was killing her.

_ So this Ryuzaki person was at the university, eh? The only university that makes sense in this case is To-Oh. It would appear that this Ryuzaki is the same one that Matsui was talking with on the phone earlier. If he was at the university, why didn't he just talk to Matsui in person? Maybe it would've looked too suspicious...either way, he can't be L, I doubt he would willingly show his face, especially now with Kira on the loose. So this Ryuzaki is probably some high up policeman, or...perhaps another investigator, and if he is, there's a chance he could be working with L. He'd better get here soon... _

“Uh, would you like anything to drink?” Matsui asked her while shyly ruffling his hair, breaking her away from her thoughts, “I was going to grab a water bottle myself.”

“Water is fine, thanks,” Keiko replied.

She watched as Matsui grabbed two water bottles from the mini fridge, passing one of the bottles over to her as he sat down. She opened the bottle, taking a sip as she surveyed the room once more. Behind them, she saw the older man sorting through what she suspected were police files, a laptop was open nearby.

“That's Watari,” Matsui explained to her, “he's, like, an assistant of sorts.”

Keiko nodded, “I see.”

The room got quiet, aside from the shuffling of papers behind them. Matsui already seemed at a loss for words, and she suspected he was only quiet because he wasn't sure what he could or couldn't reveal to her yet.

After a while, Matsui gave a little chuckle, finally daring to break the silence, “that entrance exam today must have been pretty difficult.”

_ Resorting to small talk, I see... _

“I'm sure by now you've done enough research on me to know that I'm smart enough to have passed it, easily,” Keiko replied tartily, “and I'm sure I did pass.”

“Right, because you're at the top of your class, same as Light-” he suddenly stopped, realizing he had said too much and his face turned pale again. Keiko's eyebrows shot up.

_ Light? Have they been following him too?...wait a second...we're waiting for Ryuzaki to arrive from the university...that weird guy that was staring at Light during the entrance exam...could it be? Could he be this mysterious Ryuzaki? He looked like he's younger than this Matsui, though, if it's him then he has to be smart, smarter than I am. _

“Interesting,” Keiko gave a curt laugh, “you were also tailing Light, weren't you? If not you, someone else from the police force or some other agency.”

Matsui gulped, and all of the sudden, there was a beeping noise.

_ Heh, look at him, saved by the beep. For now. _

“Ryuzaki is here,” Watari announced, getting up from his spot. Keiko watched with an ardent interest as Watari opened up the door, revealing the guy she had seen earlier during To-Oh's entrance exam.

_ So I was right...who is he? He's so young, he has to be really intelligent. _

He glided into the room, his eyes flickering from Watari to Matsui, and finally, to Keiko. He flashed her the same lazy smile he gave earlier as he sat down on one of the couches. Watari set the laptop and the files on the table in front of him.

“Kagami Keiko, you're a third year at Daikoku Private Academy. You are in second place as far as rankings go, behind Yagami Light, whom you appear to be rather close with. You do not care to raise your rank, you do not mind that you lost to Light. Instead you are glad that you don't have the burden of being rank one. Your two closest girl friends are Shunsuki Akito and Matsumoto Maki. Your ex boyfriend is Nakumura Daicho, and from my research, the two of you dated for about six months, however he was cheating on you with another girl. In my opinion, you were too naive to see the signs, but I digress. It appears you've been on multiple dates since then, but you haven't seriously dated anyone, aside from Light recently. Your father, the late Kagami Hiro, was a highly sought out private investigator and detective. It would appear that you want to follow in his footsteps, and you keep track of cases in a special notebook. Right now you are currently trying to keep up with the Kira investigation as best you can while dating Light and keeping up with your social life and your school work.”

Keiko gave a little uncomfortable cough, Ryuzaki ignored her, continuing on, “as I suspected, you knew right away that someone was following you. However, you kept it to yourself, not wanting to appear crazy or suspicious to those around you. You are curious as to why someone would be following you, and you suspect it has to do with the fact that you are investigating the Kira case. You must have assumed that I am some sort of policeman or another investigator that is close to L, thinking that L would not be willing to show his face. You are well aware he is also working with the Japanese police force. You know that people call me Ryuzaki and that I, too, took the To-Oh entrance exams earlier today. You also assume that I am investigating Light, and I will say, you are correct about that.”

_ How the hell?! Who exactly is this guy? He's torturing me like this on purpose! _

Ryuzaki gave a laugh, sensing Keiko's ever growing curiosity, “hmmm...while you were right about most things, you were wrong about something, though, Keiko-chan.”

Keiko shifted slightly, irritation bubbling inside her now, “and what, pray tell, was I wrong about?”

He leaned in, his eyes never once leaving Keiko's as he replied, “the thought never crossed your mind that I could be L simply because you assumed that it wasn't possible, knowing full well how secretive L is.”

He smirked at her as he added, “however, you were wrong because...I am L.”

Keiko's eyes widened, her heart hammering wildly in her chest. She almost felt like she could have toppled over from shock, “y-y-you're...L?!”

“Yes, I am L. You see, Ryuzaki is an alias I am using while investigating the Kira case. It's for my own protection,” he explained.

Keiko let his words sink in a moment, the wheels in her mind turning. As shocked as she was, she was now even more curious.

_ L, the great detective that I look up to, is him? L willingly showed his face to me? What is this? Is he pulling my leg? He can't really be L, can he? There's no way...also, he's so young...I didn't think L was this young, for some reason, I had always imagined an older man. If this man is really L, then he's a lot younger and much more attractive than I thought he was, even with those eyebags of his. Which says a lot, I guess. _

Matsui nodded, suddenly cutting in, “it's true, he really is the great detective. Taro Matsui is an alias that I am using as well. We've deduced from watching you that you aren't Kira, so I think it would be okay if I told you my real name now. I am Touta Matsuda. Sorry for deceiving you, I am really a cop, though!”

Keiko glanced over at him, she had gotten so distracted by Ryuzaki's confession that she forgot there were other people in the room.

_ A fake name, eh? That's pretty smart. That way, they have extra protection against Kira. Otherwise, there's a strong chance Kira would be able to eliminate them...and anyway, so this is really L. The L. And he was investigating me, of all people! What the hell?! _

“While yes, we did deduce that she is not Kira, it is still unwise to give out your real name. However, I suppose, as long as she is not Kira, then it's fine,” Ryuzaki commented with a little bit of a snarky undertone, which made Matsuda shrink a little bit.

“This is all so crazy, you know that right? What do Light and I have to do with the Kira investigation exactly? Did you really suspect I could be Kira? Or Light, for that matter?” Keiko asked, focusing her attention back on who she now knew was L.

“Patience, Keiko-chan. The others will be arriving any second now. We will begin as soon as they get here,” L responded.

_ There are others coming? Ugh, so far instead of getting answers, all I'm getting are even more questions. And, if they also followed Light, why am only I here? There has to be a reason he isn't here. Do they still suspect him of being Kira? Why do they even suspect him in the first place? _

A few seconds later, as if on cue, there was another beep. Watari once again got up to open the door. There were five people in total that walked in, and Keiko realized that one of them was Light's father. While she had never officially met him, the resemblance was uncanny, and she remembered that Light once mentioned his father was the chief of police.

She could only assume that the rest of the men that walked in were police officers under the chief's command.

The five of them sat down on the couches, and Keiko watched as Light's father glanced at her, his expression unreadable.

One of the officers started to introduce himself but L cut him off, “she knows the name you were about to give her is a fake, Aizawa-san. Matsuda already gave out his real name, so I suppose you guys should follow suit at this point. We're safe here anyway. She also knows I'm really L.”

He paused, looking over at Keiko, “I feel you already know this but, when out in public, if you see them you must refer to them with their alias and not their real name. However, when we are all together in private like this, using their real name should be fine.”

Following L's orders, the policemen introduced themselves to Keiko one by one.

Light's father went last, “I have been wanting to meet you,” he said, “but not like this. It's too late to change anything now, though. I must say, I was skeptical of my son dating at first, but after finding out more about you, and given your background and academic standing, I think you and my son are quite compatible as boyfriend and girlfriend.”

Keiko gave a shy smile, “Thank you, Yagami-san. Though, to be honest, Light hasn't officially asked me out or anything, we've just been on a few dates. So, you see, I'm technically not his girlfriend…”

“Anyway,” L interrupted rather loudly, before any more conversation could go on between the two of them, “since we are done with introductions, I'd like to begin now. What I have learned from my investigation of you is that you are not Kira. While you are intelligent enough, you are also naive, and you do not share Kira's childish nature. I got a clear sense of what you feel is right and wrong when I learned about your own personal Kira investigation. There is also the fact that you cannot be Kira because Kira has a close connection to the police, if you had any link to police files, I would have found it by now. There's no way that you would have left a clean trail....anyway, I'm sure you're wondering why I brought you here and why I am telling you all this...well, Keiko-chan, to be blunt, while you've been cleared of suspicion, there's still a chance that Light Yagami is Kira.”

“Ryuzaki, you know I don't like you talking about my son that way!” Mr. Yagami bellowed out, “besides, I thought you said he was cleared of all suspicions, like Kagami-san. When you mentioned bringing in Keiko into the Task Force, I thought you said it was because of her investigative skills, not because you still suspect Light!”

L gave a small smile, “well, honestly, it was both. And you see, just because Light didn't do anything suspicious when we were watching him doesn't mean he isn't Kira...he could have been misleading us on purpose. Though, I guess the chances of him being Kira went down about 2 or 3% from my original percentage.”

Keiko let out a breath, “let me get this straight. You were tailing the both of us, me because of my relationship with Light and because of who my father was, knowing full well that I intend to be just like my father as a detective. While watching me, you came to the correct conclusion that I am not Kira, however, you still suspect Light. Bringing me into the investigation would benefit you, so you decided to do just that. Basically, you want me to get close to Light on purpose and spy on him for you is my best guess.”

“Bingo,” L said, “I knew you'd catch on quickly.”

“But that's ridiculous,” Keiko replied, “you seriously believe that Light is Kira...okay, fine, let me get in your shoes and think for a moment. You probably suspect Light because of who his father is, and you know that he would be capable to get police information but smart enough to cover his tracks. I deduced that, at first, you suspected that Kira was a student, but right after you came to that conclusion the times of the killings changed, and Light would have had access to that information. But L-er, I'm sorry, Ryuzaki, tell me, what other reason do you have to suspect him? He wouldn't be the only one with connections and access to top secret information, you know that.”

Ryuzaki reached for some papers on the table, handing them to Keiko, “why, I must say, that's rather impressive. I never released to the public that I suspected Kira was a student at first, but you still managed to catch on...anyway, the truth is, right now, there isn't that much more reason than that. Now hear me out, isn't it a little too suspicious that the times of the killings changed so suddenly after I made my deduction? It's just a feeling at this point, and I know he isn't the only one with connections. However these are the facts; Light clearly has access to police records, not only that, as he also wants to follow in his father's footsteps, that means he must have a strong sense of justice. Kira also has a strong sense of justice, in his own twisted way, that is. On another note, how about you look through those papers?”

Keiko rifled through the papers a moment, realizing that they were files of FBI agents, and she recognized one, Raye Penber. She gasped once she saw that he was listed as deceased. In fact, all the agents were listed as deceased. They were killed off by heart attacks, each and every one of them, “w-what's this?”

“Ah, are you done looking through that?” L asked her, “I doubt you would have known this, seeing as it was top secret information, so I thought I would allow you to leaf through the papers before explaining. Truthfully, before I started showing my face to this small group, I had to ensure that none of them were Kira. How does one investigate members of the Japanese police force? They must bring in an outside source. I had the FBI investigate the police force and their family members, I was tailing them, much like I had Matsuda tail you this last week. However, as you can see, all of the FBI agents I had investigating ended up being murdered by Kira. This led me to deduce that someone I was investigating had to be Kira. While I realize I have no solid proof of this, the one I suspected the most out of those suspected with Light Yagami. He was one of the last people to be tailed before they were all murdered, actually.”

Keiko's eyes widened upon hearing this, and she could feel a knot starting to form in her stomach. She was almost worried that she was going to be sick.

For a moment, she was reliving the bus jacking with Light. She could hear the hijacker's screams about the monster at the back of the bus, the bus tires squealing as the bus came to a stop, and finally, she could hear the sick sound his body made upon impact when the car hit him.

_ Oh god...there's no way the two could be connected, right? Wait... stop for a moment and think, Kira kills with a heart attack, if Light were really Kira, wouldn't he have killed the bus jacker then and there with one? The hijacker was hit by a car, he didn't have a heart attack, there's no way...it can't be. But the FBI agents...no what am I thinking? Just because Light was one of the last people to be investigated doesn't prove anything, there were a lot of people that the agents were following, not just Light...should I tell them about the bus jacking? Or would that make me look more suspicious? However, if I tell them about it, that would lead to a lot more explaining on my end, and I'm here for my questions to be answered, not to be questioned myself. Unless it appears that I absolutely should tell them about it, I'll keep quiet. Besides, I've only just met them. _

Keiko sighed, and took another sip of her water bottle, trying to calm herself down. She had to try and keep her cool, especially if she wanted to make a good impression with L and not let on that she was hiding something.

Luckily for her, it wasn't too suspicious that she was overwhelmed. She was being thrown a lot of information all at once, so it was perfectly within the realm of possibility for her to be a little shocked.

“Keiko, I know this is a lot, but there's more I need to tell you, so please try and stay focused,” Ryuzaki said, taking the papers back from her side of the table.

_ He moves on way too fast...but I suppose, in this investigation, a fast pace must be maintained in order to achieve maximum efficiency. However, is he always this emotionless when talking about evidence? He gave me a list of dead FBI agents like it was nothing... _

She swallowed hard. As if sensing how she must have been feeling, a couple members of the Task Force told her that it would get better, that she would get used to the way that Ryuzaki acted and ran things.

Ryuzaki started up again, “this leads me to my last point. Due to my increased suspicions of Light, I had wire taps and video cameras placed in the Yagami household. Now this wasn't the only household I bugged, but it was the one that I focused on the most. To protect privacy, it was only the chief and I who watched over the Yagami household. It was during this time period he and I first noticed you and Light were hanging around each other. A couple days after things were set in place, Light had you over for the first time to study with him. He also had you over a couple other nights while we were investigating him.”

The chief gave an uncomfortable little cough. Keiko couldn't stop a light blush from spreading on her cheeks as she realized that meant that both L and Light's father bore witness to Light and Keiko kissing that night, and all the other nights she had been over there. Those nights with Light felt oddly private to her, and to realize that they weren't actually private, well, it was like Keiko was being broadcasted on a t.v. show that she didn't audition for.

L continued on, as if realizing her thoughts, “yes, that means we saw you two kissing. Don't be embarrassed, that sort of behavior is normal for two teenagers that are interested in each other...but the fact remains for me that, while being watched, Light seemed almost too normal. It was like he was putting on a show on purpose, like he knew he was being watched-”

“Are you suggesting that Light only had me over to prove his innocence of him not being Kira? That he only took me out on dates, and had me over, for this reason?” Keiko demanded, “you must admit, that sounds rather absurd. It can't be true.”

The chief nodded his head in agreement, “Ryuzaki, you can't be serious.”

“On the contrary, I am quite serious. I realize that I sound absurd but that is that is exactly what I'm suggesting,” Ryuzaki looked over at her, and Keiko had no doubt in her mind that he was trying to gauge her reaction. She bit her lip. The knot in her stomach was growing, while L's accusation was far fetched, the investigative side of her couldn't entirely ignore it.

“Keiko-chan, don't worry, I'm sure Light's not Kira, so there would be no reason for him to lead you on like that,” Matsuda commented, offering Keiko a smile. Keiko attempted to smile back, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

“While I hope Matsuda is right for once in his life, I still cannot ignore the fact that Light Yagami is still suspicious to me,” Ryuzaki replied, “Kagami-san, please think this over. If you are anything like your father, your gut is telling you the same thing; you cannot ignore the possibility, however small it may be, that he might be Kira. I know you probably have some feelings for Light, I am not asking you to rethink those feelings, rather to just consider the possibility of him being Kira and keep a more watchful eye on him, all the while reporting back to me, of course. Also, should you choose to help us out with the investigation, a fake name and identification card will be given to you as well, for your own protection.”

“Ryuzaki,” Ukita started, “don't you think you shouldn't have dragged her into this? You're asking a bit too much of her, I think.”

“I agree,” Mr. Yagami commented, “it feels wrong to ask Light's own girlfriend to spy on him. Perhaps, detective skills or not, you shouldn't have brought her here today.”

“I think we should ask Keiko-chan what she thinks, after all, in the the end, it's her choice to make. Also, remember chief, she mentioned earlier that Light never officially asked her out, so technically she isn't his girlfriend yet, but I suspect he will make things official soon. Otherwise, it would look even more suspicious on his end,” Ryuzaki said, “also, you also can't deny her skill. She would be an effective member of the task force, and would be free to come and go as her schedule allowed her, of course. Let's not forget either that she was keeping track of the Kira case as best as she could by herself, and while she didn't have access to the same information we did, she still came up with some of the same conclusions.”

The fact was, now that L had told her his reasoning, it would be in the back of her mind no matter what. It would haunt her until she could prove L wrong.  _ If _ she could. She was unsure how to proceed.

All eyes were on Keiko. She swallowed hard, her mind still trying to process things, “I think...I…”

She was unable to properly form words, and instead, opted for another drink of her water.

“Let's not rush her,” Ryuzaki said, looking Keiko over slowly. “In fact, I think it would be best if we waited a couple more days before hearing her decision. So, Keiko-chan,” he continued on, staring straight into her eyes, “I think this is it for now, but trust me, we'll be in touch.”

Keiko nodded, still unable to speak. She needed some time to think, that was for sure.

_ I was right, death is following me, haunting me now in more ways than one. When I started investigating the Kira case, I never imagined I would actually have a chance to get this deep into it. I never imagined that something like this would happen to me...Light couldn't possibly be Kira...could he? _

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, this is the longest chapter yet lmao, there was just so much...just a warning! Anyway, please let me know what you guys think! Any comments, whether positive or negative, are always welcome! I'd really like to hear some feedback!


	9. Chapter Nine: Decision

 

 

Keiko’s POV:

Keiko was unable to fall asleep that night, tossing and turning in her bed as the day’s events replayed in her mind. Her thoughts were on a constant loop, and no matter how tired she felt, she just couldn’t stop obsessing over her meeting with the world’s greatest detective. 

The fact that he suspected Light of being Kira was certainly overwhelming for her, but she had to admit, it wasn’t entirely out of the realm of possibilities. In fact, the more Keiko thought about it, the more she realized that, unfortunately, L had a point. 

_ Light’s definitely smart enough to be Kira...and like L, I suspect that he must have a strong sense of justice like his father...as well as having access to his father’s police records. Also, now that I think about it, while this might not be connected to Kira, twice when I was with Light, criminals died...it’s certainly odd, however, it’s never been confirmed that Kira can kill in ways other than a heart attack. So those could have just been a coincidence but still. Is it too much of a coincidence? I honestly don’t know. Ugh...while the possibility is slim, Light very well could be Kira. I can’t ignore that fact, no matter how much I might be interested in him...especially if he’s dating me only to cover his tracks. If he is, of course I’d want to find out sooner than later.  _

Keiko also noted, that whenever she was with Light, the Kira investigation never really came up in conversation. On the other hand, who would want to talk about the criminals of the world dying while on a date? Considering the events of their first date, and what happened that night at the convenience store, Keiko came to the conclusion that perhaps Light didn’t want to possibly bring up those horrific memories. 

_ While it’s odd, perhaps I shouldn’t be too quick to judge him on that... _

She considered L’s proposal. If she took it, she would have a spot on the Task Force. She would be free to come and go at headquarters when it fit with her schedule, provided that she did a little spying on Light for them. 

Working with L would be a dream come true, and this would also give her the chance to prove her worth as an investigator. One side of her really wanted to say yes, however, the other side of her knew that spying was wrong, and even if was for a good cause, she would be lying to Light. 

Her thoughts were tearing her apart. L’s words were haunting her, and she wished that she could go to her best friends for advice. Although, she already had a good idea of what each of them would have said to her. Maki would have told her, in a rather shrill voice, that she would be dumb not to take L up on his offer. While Maki didn’t understand Keiko’s fascination with detective work, she wouldn’t let her friend give up such a great opportunity. 

On the other hand, Akito would have said softly that, despite Keiko’s dreams, if the cost was much too high, then it wouldn’t be worth it. That would be Akito’s way of telling Keiko that she should decline L for even suggesting something as outrageous as spying on Light Yagami. 

_ So it would have been one to one anyway, and in the end, I’m still stuck making an impossible decision. But wait...he’s probably not even Kira, and if he isn’t, then perhaps I can help him prove his innocence. If I prove that Light is innocent then, if Light wanted to, perhaps he could join the Task Force himself. So, even if I am keeping an eye on him, maybe that could end up being a good thing? But still, what I would be doing would be wrong...no! While it is wrong, I can’t think like that. In the end, I have to do what I feel is right, otherwise I know I will end up regretting it forever!  _

Keiko sat up in her bed, her sweaty night shirt clinging to her back. After countless hours of mulling it over, she felt that she had finally come to a solid decision.

 

Light’s POV:

Light sat across from the chestnut haired girl, examining her carefully as he sipped his coffee. He watched her compose a quick text to one of her friends before focusing her attention on him again. Today would be the day that he executed his plan, and he figured that a coffee shop would be the perfect way to start the first part of their date. He was confident, and so far, their little coffee date had gone well. 

There was no doubt in his mind that when he asked her to be his girlfriend later on that day, she would probably say yes. The chances of her refusing him were slim, so slim that Light wasn’t even worried. In fact, he had a little plan to ensure that she couldn’t say no to him, no matter what. 

By now, he suspected that L had probably gotten to her. However, there was no good way of asking her, not without appearing suspicious. The two hadn’t even talked about the Kira investigation before, not properly, and to bring it up now would ring some alarms for sure. He had no choice but to trust his intuition. 

If L had indeed gotten in contact with her, that would mean that there was a good chance she was now spying on him to report back to L later. Even if she refused to spy on him, if Light and Keiko got together, then that would mean he could still use her as a cover. She was pretty much his type anyway, attractive, intelligent, and goal-oriented. Either way, having Keiko agree to be his girlfriend would benefit him.

After investigating Keiko, he figured that it was a pretty safe bet that Keiko would agree to L’s conditions. No matter how much she liked Light, she wouldn’t be satisfied unless she could rule out for sure that he wasn’t Kira. 

Light was confident that he could eliminate her suspicions about him and fully earn her trust. Also, with Keiko on the Task Force, Light figured that there was a good possibility that he could get closer to L sooner. If he got Keiko to vouch for Light, he himself could become a member of the Task Force. Although he knew that sooner or later, L would probably want Light on the Task Force anyway, being with Keiko could hasten that development.

Light started to laugh, a smile forming on his face.

_ It looks like yet again I’ll win. This will be too easy. _

“Hyuk, hyuk, you’re that confident, huh?” He heard Ryuk comment from behind him. Light ignored him, still focused on the girl in front of him.

“What’s so funny, Light-kun?” Keiko asked, staring up at him with her gentle brown eyes. Light’s heart gave a little lurch, which he fought hard to ignore. There was no way he could go falling for her charms now, not when his victory was so close. He had to remain level headed, falling in love would only weaken him.

“Oh, it’s nothing, don’t worry,” Light replied, giving a little stretch as he stood up, “I’m done. Are you finished with your coffee?”

Keiko nodded and Light reached for her empty cup, throwing it in the trash along with his own. She had stood up as well, “shall we go now then?”

Light nodded and grabbed her hand, leading her out the door, “I was thinking we could go for a walk, if that’s okay with you, of course.”

Keiko bit her lip in a failed attempt to hide her smile, “I think a walk sounds great.”

The two of them fell in step together, walking side by side. Light knew exactly where he wanted to take her, there was a scenic park with benches scattered around nearby. He figured it would be a pretty romantic place to take a girl. Also, if they were out in public, there would be no way that Keiko could refuse him, not without causing a scene. It was the safest bet.

The walk there didn’t take long, and soon they were entering the nature park. All around them were tall cherry blossom trees. They were in full bloom this time of year, and a few petals were blowing about in the wind. 

“It’s so gorgeous,” Keiko commented upon entering the area. She had paused almost right away to look at the nature surrounding her in awe, confirming to Light that he had made the right decision in taking her there. 

Light nodded in agreement, “yeah, it’s pretty amazing out here. Would you want to sit down for a while, relax and soak it all up?”

Keiko looked back at him, there was a smile on her face as she said, “sure, why not?”

He led her to one of the benches beneath the tall trees, motioning for her to sit down next to him. 

“Heh, you’re about to ask her to be your girlfriend now, aren’t you?” Ryuk chucked, “that’s why you dragged her out here.”

_ But of course, Ryuk, _ Light thought, _ just you watch. I’m going to play the part of a teenage boy in love, and I’m going to do it well.  _

Light scooted a little closer to Keiko, his leg brushing up against hers as he did so. Keiko, who had been looking away at the time, glanced over when she noticed the intrusion. There was a light pink color spreading across her face, which got even pinker as Light brushed a loose strand of hair away from her eyes and tucked it behind her ear. 

Now that he had her full attention, he figured it was high time to take action, “Keiko-chan, now that we’re here, there’s actually something I wanted to ask you…”

Keiko’s eyes slightly widened, and Light could sense her sudden nervousness. Her face was still pink though, which Light took as a good sign. 

“Heh, well would you look at that. It appears you have quite the effect on her,” Ryuk laughed, wishing that he could have had an apple to chow down on while watching the show. 

Light continued on, “I know we had a bit of a weird beginning, the convenience store incident, you forcing me to pose as your current boyfriend in front of your ex boyfriend, and then with what happened on that bus...but…”

He trailed off, watching Keiko stare at him in wonderment. “But...what?” she questioned him, and Light smirked, enjoying the little show he was putting on. 

_ I’ve got her. _

Light finally finished, “but...somehow, I feel like we understand each other. That, and I really enjoy spending time with you…I guess what I’m saying is...Keiko Kagami, would you like to make things official by saying you’ll be my girlfriend?” 

 

Keiko’s POV:

Keiko swore that, for a second, her mind entirely stopped working and shut down. Sure, she knew it was coming, especially when she saw where Light had led her, but hearing him actually ask her out properly? She could feel her insides slowly turning into one big, gooey puddle. After spending so much time with Light, she couldn’t deny that, slowly but surely, she could feel herself starting to fall him. 

The logical side of her was screaming that there was a chance, however slim, that he was Kira and that by saying yes to him now, she would end up hurting because of him later on. How would she feel if she got closer to him only to discover that he was the murderer, the bad guy she was chasing? Keiko knew that if Light were Kira then sooner or later he’d slip up sometime and reveal himself to her. If that were to happen...well Keiko didn’t want to know what she would do, and she hoped that she would never have to know. 

She knew that she could have just turned down Light, turned down L’s offer, and walked away right then and there. However, if she did, she knew that she would regret it for the rest of her life. Keiko couldn’t waste the opportunity the world had presented her with. All she wanted to do was prove Light’s innocence to L once and for all, and assert herself as being a competent investigator, despite being only a young woman about to enter her freshman year of college. 

The only way she could do that was by saying yes to him. It was risky, but then again, life was full of risks, and she decided that she was up for the challenge.

“Why, Light Yagami, I have to say, I thought you’d never ask,” Keiko flashed Light a flirtatious smile, “of course I’ll be your girlfriend.”

With that, she leaned over working on closing the gap between them. Light leaned forward as well, meeting her in the middle as he pressed his lips up against hers. It wasn’t their first kiss, nor would it be their last, but Keiko thought it was their best kiss. Why? Simply because this time, Light and Keiko were officially boyfriend and girlfriend.

_ /timeskip/ _

Later that evening, after Keiko and Light had said their goodbyes for the day, she received a phone call. She paused the movie she had been watching and checked her caller ID.

_ The Task Force...right on time. _

Keiko figured that the call was coming, and she was now more than ready to give her answer. 

“Kagami-san,” the voice on the phone said once she picked up, “It’s Matsuda from the Task Force, just checking up on you. Have you come to a decision yet?”

“I have,” Keiko replied, although she knew Matsuda couldn’t see her in person, she was smiling. 

“Wonderful, Ryuzaki will be happy to hear that. I’ll be over there soon to pick you up.” 

_ /timeskip/ _

Fifteen minutes later, Keiko was sitting face to face with Ryuzaki and the rest of the Task Force, except this time she noted they had a different hotel. Matsuda explained to her on the way there that switching hotels every few days was the best way to keep a low profile and ensure that no one caught on to them. 

“So, Kagami-san,” L started once she had settled in, “I hear that you made your choice.” 

“Yes, I have,” Keiko replied and took a sip of the water bottle in front of her, hoping that her stalling would arouse more curiosity within the members of the Task Force. 

“So, what will it be?” L asked her, barely even raising an eyebrow. Keiko watched as the rest of the members of the Task Force leaned in a little closer towards her. Mr. Yagami was looking at her with a determined look on his face, out of the bunch, he seemed the most intent on hearing her response. 

On the other hand, out of everyone in the room, Ryuzaki seemed the least interested, and Keiko had no doubt in her mind that it was because he already knew what she was about to say. 

Keiko stared straight into L’s eyes as she spoke, “I’ve decided that I’ll do it...but you already knew I would, didn’t you? Otherwise you wouldn’t have bothered to reveal so much classified information last time. It was a risky move on your choice, meeting me in person. But you counted on the fact that, in the end, I’d agree to your conditions. Well, you were right Ryuzaki, you got me.”

L gave her a slight, playful smirk, “wonderful. Yes, you’re right. I knew there was no way you would turn me down, and I took advantage of it.”

Light’s father sighed, “so, this means that you, too, suspect my son?”

Keiko shifted slightly in her seat. The one thing that would be a little awkward was the fact that she would now be working alongside Light’s father without Light’s knowledge, “Mr. Yagami, by doing this, I can possibly confirm that Light really is innocent. I want to confirm that just as much as you do. However, I can’t just ignore the fact that he is still a suspect, no matter how much I like him...” she trailed off, a light blush spreading on her face.

“I see,” My Yagami replied, seemingly satisfied with her answer, “well, in that case, we welcome you to the Task Force. With you here, hopefully we can clear my son’s name sooner.”

Before Keiko could respond to Light’s father, L interrupted, “so this also means that Light’s asked you to be his girlfriend, yes?” Although it was phrased like a question, it was really more of a statement, “the two of you are official now.”

“How’d you know?” Keiko asked, running a hand through her hair, “but yes, he asked me to be his girlfriend just earlier today.”

“All right!” Matsuda grinned, and gave Keiko a light fist bump, which she weakly returned, “way to go, Keiko-chan!”

“Yes, yes, that’s very good,” L said, blatantly ignoring her question. Oh well. L had his ways, and she figured she wasn’t going to get much of an answer anyway, “the closer you get to him, the better. We need him to trust you.”

“So what happens now?” she asked him, hoping that L would answer that one at least. 

L smirked, and gestured over to Watari a moment. Watari walked over, handing Keiko her fake id, which read the name Kana Kinomoto. 

_ Hmm...it feels so weird to be given a fake id with a fake name, however, because of the nature of this investigation, I have to have one with me, just in case.  _

“Well, first of all, whatever is discussed in these meetings stays in these meetings, as I am sure you know. And like before, code names only outside of this room. As promised, you are free to come and go when it works with your schedule. Although, as you are here to keep an eye on Light as well, I would like an update on him at least every couple days. Are you okay with that?” 

“Y-yeah,” Keiko stuttered out, a soft smile on her face. While she knew she would now have to spy on Light, she couldn’t deny how happy she was at the fact that she would now be working the world’s greatest detective! 

Finally, it was her time to shine. She would finally be able to properly honor her father’s memory and pursue her dreams in the process. Oh, and possibly fall in love, provided her boyfriend wasn’t a serial killer. 

_ It’s a slim chance anyway. I shouldn’t worry about that too much, but of course, I will still keep an eye out. _

“Great,” L replied, breaking Keiko out of her thoughts, “now that that’s settled...who wants some cake?”

 


	10. Chapter Ten: University

 

Keiko’s POV:

The break before classes started again was passing by much too fast for Keiko’s taste. While it already had been a few weeks, it felt like just the other day that Keiko was added as a new member of the Task Force, and since Light had officially asked her to be his girlfriend. Soon it would also be time for her to start a new chapter of her life as a university student. 

Fortunately for her, Keiko still had a little bit of time until then. She and Light were meeting up a few times a week, on the days she wasn’t at the current Task Force location, or out with her friends, who were pleased to hear that she and Light were finally official. 

The time seemed to be passing by and much to Keiko’s relief, so far, Light didn’t seem outwardly suspicious. 

While he did finally bring up the Kira investigation with her, it was only to mention that he had also been following the case. He explained that it was because he wanted to try and see if he could help out his father. He, too, was interested in police work. Keiko knew it could have just been a lie, but somehow, she didn’t think he was lying to her. He seemed pretty normal. It would only make sense that he wanted to follow his father’s career path. After all, Keiko was following in her father’s footsteps as well. 

Of course, she knew him being _ too _ normal could also be a cause for suspicion, but she genuinely hoped that it was only because Light wasn’t actually Kira. 

Keiko knew in the end it could be bad if she kept her hopes up so high, but she had a lot of fun whenever she was with Light. The two of them got along so well, and Keiko had to admit, she liked him a little more each time she saw him. 

However, she was faced with the grim reality that Light was still a suspect every time she stepped into headquarters to brief L and investigate with the rest of the Task Force. There Keiko was again, sitting on yet another couch in a new hotel room and giving Ryuzaki another report about her past few days with her boyfriend, Light Yagami. 

The other day, Light took Keiko out to lunch, to celebrate getting perfect scores on their entrance exams. While Keiko figured it was a safe bet that she had gotten in, she never even dreamed that she would have gotten a perfect score. She had always been number two, always right behind Light. Being number one with Light Yagami for once felt amazing, and she was excited at the opportunity to give the freshman address with him by her side. 

_ I guess studying with Light Yagami does have its perks. His perfect test taking abilities must have rubbed off on me. Generally, I always miss one or two questions, no matter how hard I study.  _

Keiko reported all of this to L, who was sitting in that odd way of his while inhaling a piece of strawberry cake. It was just the two of them there currently, but the rest of the Task Force would be joining them soon for a general meeting that L had called. 

“So, you see, Light still doesn’t appear that suspicious to me. Of course I shall continue keeping an eye on him, but if he is Kira, he certainly knows how to cover his tracks pretty well,” she finished.

“I see, how very interesting,” L replied, taking another bite of his cake, “by the way, congratulations on getting a perfect score. Based off of what you said, it’s the first perfect score you’ve received on an exam, correct?”

“Y-yes, thank you, Ryuzaki-san,” Keiko gave him a small smile. 

As the Task Force said, she was slowly getting used to L and his strange behaviors. She noticed so far that he had an incredible appetite for all sorts of sweets, often times would bite his thumb while thinking, and always crouched in that weird position of his, which he said increased his thinking and deductive reasoning abilities by about forty percent. 

However, she was still getting used to his odd personality. For the most part it seemed he was almost robotic, but then sometimes, she would get a quick glance of some feeling within him. This never lasted long before getting replaced by his emotionless facade again. He was a mystery, an enigma, and Keiko wondered if she would ever fully get used to him or understand him.

L gave her a little smirk before continuing on, “anyway,” he said in between bites, “I, too, received a perfect score. It looks like we will be giving the freshman address together, you, Light, and me. It’s perfect, don’t you think?”

_ Of course, it’s no question that L would get a perfect score. Though, I have to admit, I almost forgot that he also took the entrance exams... _

There was a twinkle in his eye as he replied, and he had finished his cake, setting his plate on the table in front of him. However, Keiko noticed that there were some tiny leftover crumbs sticking to the side of his mouth. 

_ Hmm...I guess even geniuses like L can’t be perfect all the time. He is still human, after all...it’s nice to remember that fact about him. _

Keiko couldn’t stop a small giggle from escaping her throat and she decided that she couldn’t leave him like that. She grabbed a napkin from the table, and leaned towards the great detective. L froze, his eyes widening as he noticed just how close Keiko was to him. Keiko, however, didn’t notice, focusing solely on L’s mouth as she brushed the remaining crumbs off of his face. 

She brushed once more, just to make sure she had gotten everything. When she pulled back a few moments later she noticed that L was sitting there, crouched in that weird position of his, eyes wide, as still as a statue.

_ Is he broken? ...oh right, come to think of it, he’s probably not used to getting this sort of attention and the only person I’ve seen touch him is Watari, even then that’s not often...but still, I can’t believe I had this much of an effect on him.  _

“S-sorry, Ryuzaki-san,” Keiko stuttered out, feeling nothing but awkward, “it was going to bother me otherwise…”

She was greeted with a cold silence. Keiko suddenly wished that she could disappear into nothingness, as she could feel the tension in the room thickening rather quickly.

This was broken only by the sound of the rest of the Task Force entering the hotel room moments later. 

_ Oh thank goodness, the others are finally here for that meeting... _

Keiko watched as L slowly return from his frozen state back to normal, now focusing his attention to the other members who were making themselves comfortable on the couches. He didn’t once glance at Keiko during this time.  

“It’s awfully quiet in here. We weren’t interrupting anything important, were we?” Matsuda asked, giving his signature confused look as he ruffled a hand through his hair. 

“No, nothing too important,” she heard L respond “Kagami-san was just giving me another report on Light.”

_ Nothing too important, eh? I see... he’s acting as though nothing happened, as if he didn’t just freeze up on me moments go...well, I suppose it’s for the best that we both just forget what happened.  _

“And? Any new developments?” Mr. Yagami questioned, a hard look on his face. Every week he sported the same look, hoping to hear good news, but yet bracing himself just in case there was bad news. 

“No, nothing of importance, although, she did inform me that she received a perfect score on her entrance exams. This means that she and I will be giving the freshman address, along with Light, of course.”

“Is this what you were planning all along?” Mogi asked, his eyebrows raised, “to finally confront Light at the entrance ceremonies?”

“Oh! I get it!” Matsuda’s hand shot up excitedly before L could give a response, “that’s also why you got in contact with Keiko-chan, right? So that when you finally got in contact with Light, you’d have an ally of sorts with you close nearby.”

“My my, that’s quite an astute observation, especially coming from you, Matsuda-san,” Ryuzaki gave a smirk, “yes, I do admit, I did have that in mind. You see, after the three of us give our speeches and have sat back down, I plan on telling Light I am L.”

“What?! Right there, with all of those people, both students and staff surrounding you? Don’t you think that’s too risky? What if someone overhears?” Aizawa commented, an incredulous look on his face.

“On the contrary, I think it’s the perfect way to confess. The ceremony is bound to be packed with people, yes, but think of these people as extra protection. I doubt they will be paying attention...instead they will either be too absorbed with watching the speeches to notice, or engaging in side conversations themselves. Also this way, if Light is Kira, he cannot make any attempt to try and kill me, not with all of those possible witnesses. That and the fact that I can carefully measure his response, with Kagami-san on one side of Light, and me on the other side,” L explained, and yet again, there was a gleam in his eyes. 

_ So yet again, he will be using me. How long has he had this planned? Did he expect, after me studying with Light, that I too would get a perfect score on my entrance exam?  _

“Ryuzaki,” Mr. Yagami started, “I assure you that my son is not Kira. We already got proof from when my own household was under surveillance, and Kagami-san is confirming that through her own research and interactions with him.”

“If Light were Kira, I doubt he would be so careless as to arouse suspicion. At any rate, I’m just not convinced of his innocence, but perhaps, if I could get close to him personally...maybe I could see for myself whether or not he is actually innocent,” L replied, his eyes were closed. He looked deep in thought, “you see, this isn’t all...I was also thinking of inviting him to join the Task Force soon.”

This quickly got everyone’s attention. Keiko’s eyes snapped towards L, she figured that the detective would bring up the possibility of adding Light to the investigative team at some point, but she had expected that he would have been totally cleared first.

_ So he means to add Light soon, even though he still suspects him...is this in hopes that he can make Light slip up directly? _

“Just what exactly are you thinking, Ryuzaki?” Mr. Yagami asked, “I can never quite tell what’s going on in that head of yours.”

L opened his eyes, a lazy grin on his face, “as always, you will know when the time is right. Be patient.”

With that, Ryuzaki dismissed the Task Force. The rest of the team had cleared out rather quickly, but a couple minutes later, Keiko was still there. She too was distracted by the thoughts attacking her mind, which slowed down the process of her getting her stuff together. After about a minute had passed, she had finally gotten everything, and was about to head out when she heard L suddenly speak.

“Kagami-san, since you’re still here, I’d like to have a little word with you.”

Keiko nearly jumped at the sound of his voice, but she soon regained control of her body and turned back around to face him. 

He was looking at his laptop screen, but addresing her, “I don’t think I have to tell you not to bring up what happened earlier to anyone. I would also like to say that you better not let it happen again. If there is something on my face, please inform me and I will take care of it myself.”

_ No way...he can’t even directly look at me? Is he embarrassed? But, he doesn’t look like it. He’s always so emotionless, so robotic. Mr. Yagami is right, you really can never tell what he’s thinking. _

“S-sure,” Keiko managed to get out, “again, sorry, Ryuzaki.”

She ducked her head a little, waiting for a response, waiting for him to accept her apology. Or at least say something that would acknowledge her. When she heard nothing, she looked up, and found him still buried in his work. 

“If there’s anything else, please spit it out, otherwise, I’m finished speaking with you,” L said, not even bothering to look at her.

_ What is up with him? I apologize not only once but twice, and he doesn’t even seem to care. L doesn’t seem to have any basic human decency whatsoever. I was only trying to be nice to him to begin with...whatever, I’m not going to bother with this anymore! _

Keiko made a sour face, annoyance coursing through her veins. When she exited the hotel room, she made sure she closed the door extra loudly behind her.

_ /timeskip/ _

Keiko felt Light squeeze her hand, “don’t be nervous, I know you’ll do great. Besides, I will be there right next to you the whole time.”

She could only nod in response, the two of them were sitting side by side at To-Oh’s entrance ceremony, waiting for the announcer to call them up to speak. There were knots in her stomach that refused to go away. What Light didn’t know was that Keiko was nervous not only because of the large crowd of people she would have to speak to, but also because of L’s plans for him soon afterward. 

“...and now for the freshman address. When I call your name, please come on up to the podium….as for the audience, please give a nice, warm welcome to freshman our representatives. Our first representative is Light Yagami,” the university chairman called out, and Light stood up, and flashed Keiko a quick smile before he started to walk. 

“Our second representative is Keiko Kagami.”

As Keiko stood up, she could hear some of the whispers starting around her. 

“I hear she’s Light Yagami’s girlfriend,” a girl commented as Keiko passed by, “but do you really think she’s good enough for him? I’m honestly just not sure.”

Keiko hardened a little, wishing she could give the girl a piece of her mind. She recognized the speaker as being the girl who had glared at Keiko for sitting next to Light during the examinations.

“Shh or she’ll hear you, Kiyomi Takada-san!” one of her friends hissed back.

_ Too late for that... _

“Our final representative is Hideki Ryuga!”

When the chairman called out the final name, Ryuzaki’s university alias, the whispers were now even louder than before, especially from the girls in the crowd. 

_ I know he figured he’d be safe if he went by the name of that stupid pop singer, but now all anyone here is going to do is compare him to the real thing. What a nuisance.  _

Keiko took her place next to Light, L following soon afterwards. When the three of them were all properly situated, the chairman motioned for them to begin. Light started to speak, and Keiko could feel L staring at him from the other side of her. It honestly made her a little uncomfortable, her boyfriend was on one side, while the world’s greatest detective was on her other side. It made her even more uncomfortable to know that they had an audience. She could feel the eyes of the crowd scrutinizing their every move. 

Keiko powered through it, trying to focus solely on the current task at hand: giving a well-delivered freshman address, as soon Light would be passing off his speech. Light spoke well, his voice rang loud and clear throughout the auditorium. As always, he was his calm and collected self.

Unfortunately, when it was Keiko’s turn to speak, she couldn’t help but slip a little, stuttering on the first word. Her face was flaming, but she gave a deep breath and started over, thinking of Light’s kind words of encouragement right before they were called forward. This time, she didn’t make any mistakes and before she knew it, her part of the speech was over. 

She passed the speech paper along to L, who held it out in that odd way of his, with his pointer finger and thumb. His voice as he spoke also sounded a little robotic, and Keiko noticed that he was still sporting his usual white t-shirt paired up with blue jeans. 

_ I know he doesn’t care what others think of him, but couldn’t he have at least tried to appear more normal to blend in? He’s singling himself out.  _

She let out a sigh of relief when he had finished the speech and the three of them were dismissed from the stage.

_ First mission done. Now it’s time to start the second one. _

Keiko whispered first to Light and then to L that there were a few seats available up front, which would be much easier than returning to their original spots which were buried deep into the crowd. She saw Light nod his head in agreement and heard L give verbal agreement behind her. With that, she led them to the spot where there were three seats available. 

She made sure that she was the first one to sit back down, forcing Light to be sandwiched between her and L.

L took his opportunity to move in when the chairman started yet another speech. 

“Light Yagami,” he started, “your father is Chief Soichiro Yagami of the NPA. You got your strong sense of justice from him, and you aspire to one day be the chief of police yourself. You certainly have the skills for it, seeing as you’ve helped him and the rest of the police force solve tough cases in the past. Currently, you are showing interest in the Kira case, hoping to help out your father in any way that you can. To be honest, I am impressed by your strong abilities and your sense of justice. If you promise to keep it a secret, I have information that I want to share with you concerning the Kira investigation.”

Keiko tried hard to maintain a straight face and not bite her lip as L spoke. Although it appeared that she was intently listening to the speaker, she was really focusing on Light’s reaction to L’s comments. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as Light’s eyebrows every so slightly furrowed. It was clear to Keiko that he was in deep thought, but he wanted to appear normal to any onlookers. 

A couple of seconds later, Light closed his eyes as he spoke, “I won’t tell anyone. What is it?”

L turned his head so that he was looking directly at Light. “I want to tell you,” his voice dropped in volume, “...that I’m L.”

Keiko tensed up, suddenly closing her eyes. L was already staring at Light, so what was the point of her looking at him as well? That, and there was the fact that she herself couldn’t bear to face him at the moment, her heart felt like it was about to beat out of her chest. 

“If you are who you you say you are,” she heard Light start, and she cautiously opened one eye, “then you have nothing but my respect and admiration.”

Upon hearing this, she opened up her other eye as Light continued on, “however, I have to ask, why did you want to tell me this?”

“Thank you. And the reason I told you this was because I think you could help us on the Kira investigation.”

Light was silent for a while, probably deep in thought. It wasn’t like he would have had much of a chance to reply anyway, as the ceremony had finally finished up, and people were being ushered outside. L stood up first, and followed the crowd of people lining up at the side entrance, leaving Keiko with Light. 

_ I have to remember: I did not hear a word that was spoken just now between Light and L. I was just a normal college student listening to my college chairman speak. When the time comes, I will reveal to Light that I am working with L, but for now, that remains a secret.  _

“Wow, I have to say, I’m really excited that we’re officially university students now. After being here, and given our speeches, it finally feels real,” Keiko said, giving Light a smile as she stood up.

 

_ Light’s POV: _

“If that guy was really L, then color me impressed. He’s managed to corner you,” Ryuk commented, snickering as Light watched L leaving with the rest of the crowd. 

_ Indeed, if that guy really was  L...no! Even if he’s not L, I...augh! I can’t do anything to him! If what he said is true, then it probably means he’s already shown his face to my father and the rest of the Task Force. What now? If he were to die right after telling me who he was, it’d be way too suspicious! Although it’s obvious that Hideki Ryuga is nothing more than an absurd alias, it still complicates things...he did this on purpose! It’s hard to say for sure how much he knows, but if he’s revealing this much then, it’s clear that I am still under suspicion. _

His thoughts were broken by Keiko speaking. He blinked, he had forgotten she had been sitting next to him, he was so focused on the confession that he’d received. She flashed him a smile as she stood up, motioning for him to stand up as well. He did, and grabbed her hand, leading her towards one of the auditorium exits. 

_ Wait a second, if he was L, was Keiko also in on his plans today? It’s hard to tell, even if knew of his plans to reveal his identity to me, her suggesting that we sit near the front instead of returning to our original spots isn’t suspicious. She had a point, if we were to sit back where we sat before, we would have to get through quite a lot of people. However, it’s still too convenient that she let me take the seat in the middle...so it’s been decided...if he is really L, then she definitely was in on it.  _

“Hey, Light-kun!” a voice called out. 

“Hyuk, hey Light, I think it’s your new friend from earlier speaking to you,” Ryuk laughed, clearly enjoying the show. 

Light looked up, and it was indeed him again, his hands stuffed in his pockets, an earnest look on his face as he spoke once more, “it was nice meeting you.”

Light smirked, though on the inside, he was quite irritated, “ah, the pleasure was all mine. This is my girlfriend, who was up there speaking with us, Kagami-san.”

Light carefully studied L’s face as he introduced Keiko, but L gave no hint as to whether he recognized her or not. He had the same pleasant look on his face throughout the whole exchange, “ah yes, it’s nice to meet you as well.”

Keiko gave L a smile, but she didn’t speak. Light watched as L then mumbled something about having to go somewhere and he gave the couple a final wave before disappearing back into the crowd. 

Light wanted nothing more than to kill him, and be rid of L once and for all, but he knew all too well that was not possible at the moment. 

_ Mark my words, someday, L, I will kill you.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh boy! dun dun dunn dunnnn


	11. Chapter Eleven: Match

 

 

 

Keiko’s POV:

Keiko was sitting on the bench closest to the side lines nearby, watching as the scene played out in front of her. Both Light and L had just emerged from the boys locker room and stepped onto the tennis court, though it was blatantly obvious that Light was the only one who had changed.

_ Why did L even bother going into the boys locker room? He’s still wearing the same outfit he always does. If he was in there just to watch Light while he was changing, then honestly, that’s a little...weird. Or perhaps creepy would be the right word, but I wouldn’t put it past L to do that honestly. _

L, or rather, Hideki Ryuga, had called out to Light earlier and asked him to play a match of tennis with him, as a sort of way for them to get to know each other. Keiko had to admit, at first she didn’t quite follow why L had chosen tennis. However, L had insisted on tennis specifically, explaining that it was the one sport he and Light were both extraordinarily talented in. 

She bit her lip, in deep thought as she watched the two of them, who were now walking towards her general direction.

_ With tennis, there is a clear winner and a clear loser. Is he doing this with the thought that, if Light tries to win on purpose, he’s Kira? On the flip side, if Light happens to lose to L, does that also mean he is Kira to L? How’s he supposed to conclude anything from this? What’s he trying to do?  _

Her thoughts were interrupted by Light, who was now right next to her, grabbing his racquet. He had set his tennis bag right next to Keiko on the bench. While he was there, he flashed Keiko a smile, before focusing his attention back on L.

“I must say,” he started, “I was surprised when you suggested tennis as a way for us to get to know each other better, Ryuga...I’m also surprised that you insisted on keeping that outfit of yours on. I did say I had an extra set of clothes you could borrow.”

_ Yeah, I’m surprised too, Light. But L is a bit...odd. The more you get to know him, the more you will get used to it. Sort of, at least. _

“Is that going to be a problem?” L questioned, a blank expression on his face as he, too, grabbed his tennis racquet. 

Light shook his head and smiled,  “no. Not at all, I suppose whatever you want to wear is fine. But, on another topic, when you first invited me to play tennis with you, did you know how good I was?”

“Yes,” L admitted, “but I’ll be fine though. I have to admit, it’s been a while but at one point in time, I was actually the British Junior Champion.”

_ Ah, so that’s why L is so confident...unless he’s lying about receiving this award specifically to intimidate Light, but somehow, it doesn’t feel like it. While he doesn’t always tell the truth about everything, I don’t see why he would lie about something like this. After all, he did tell me confidently during our meeting the other day that he was an expert pro at tennis. _

“So, Ryuga, were you raised in the UK then?” Light asked as the two of them walked back onto the tennis court.

“I lived in England for about five years when I was younger. But save your breath, nothing in that story would reveal L’s true identity, I assure you.”

Keiko rolled her eyes, of course L would say that on purpose just to try and taunt Light. Did he really have to go that far, though?  

L continued on, a new found glint in his eyes, “well, since it is our first match, how about we just play a single set? First one to...hm...six wins, how does that sound?”

“That’s fine with me,” Light replied, and he went off to his respective side of the tennis court. Almost immediately after Light had stepped into his place, L gave his first serve. Light seemed to realize a little too late that L had already started the game, and the ball hit the fence with full force on his side of the tennis court. 

“Fifteen love,” L commented with a smirk. It seemed to Keiko that the great detective was rather pleased with himself. 

Light stood there, open mouthed for a moment. However, he quickly composed himself and grabbed the rolling ball from off the ground, “wow, Ryuga, nice serve. I have to admit, it caught me off guard.”

“He who strikes first wins,” L responded, and Keiko detected a strong hint of smugness in his voice. 

Light passed the ball back to L, who gave another serve. Except this time, Light was more than ready for it. He hit back with just as much intensity, and thus the games began.

Keiko had to admit, she didn’t know squat about tennis, not even after being forced to sit through her cousin’s multiple tennis matches during her elementary school years. She did know, however, that this was the most intense game of tennis that she had ever seen. It was probably the most intense match the whole world had ever seen, for that matter.

L and Light managed to garner a rather large crowd of spectators relatively quickly. All around them, people were frozen in place, watching and whispering in awe. 

“That’s Hideki Ryuga, same name as that pop star guy, and Light Yagami, they both got a perfect score on the entrance exam,” Keiko heard a guy standing close behind her explain to his group of friends. 

One of his companions whispered back, “and the girl sitting on the bench, whose that?”

“Oh, her? I’m pretty sure that’s Light Yagami’s girlfriend. I heard that she also scored a hundred percent on the entrance exam. Look at them, they all seem close, which makes sense because they say smart people travel in packs…”

“Wow,” the friend replied, “well I hope it’s okay if I say this seeing as she’s dating Yagami-san but, she’s pretty hot.”

Keiko rolled her eyes and tried her best to ignore their comments, keeping her eyes glued to the game. So far, L and Light were pretty much neck and neck. This attracted even more people to stand by and watch the games go on. 

It took only a few more minutes for them to gain a couple guys to willingly volunteer as a line judge and an umpire for their remaining matches.

She watched in awe as the matches finally drew towards a close. Both Light and L were hitting the ball back and forth like there was no tomorrow. 

_ It looks like they’re both trying to go for the win...L’s theory is that Kira is childish and hates losing, so if Light loses, he’s definitely going to be watchful of Light’s reaction to losing. On the flip side, if Light wins, he will also see if Light gloats about it...either way you look at it, it appears Light can’t win. L only sees what he wants to see, and right now he sees Light as being Kira. It’s hardly fair, especially seeing as the probability of Light being Kira is around 5-6%, but there’s no way to convince L otherwise.  _

“Game and set! Light Yagami is the winner!” the self proclaimed umpire announced, waving his arm around in Light’s general direction. At this, the crowd went wild with clapping and cheers. Keiko jumped off the bench, heading towards L and Light, who were now gathered near the middle of the tennis court. 

“Just as I suspected,” she heard L say as she got close to the two of them, “you beat me.”

Light laughed, “honestly? It’s been quite awhile since I had to play that hard. You truly were a worthy opponent, Ryuga.” 

“Congratulations, Light-kun,” Keiko said, wrapping her arms around Light in a quick surprise hug from behind. She could feel his sweat, which now clung to her clothes a little as she pulled away from him, but she didn’t really mind it.

“Heh, hey woah there,” she heard Light say, “you don’t have to feel obligated to hug me even when I’m dripping with sweat.”

Keiko laughed a little, “no, I suppose I don’t have to. But, I still wanted to, to congratulate you, and it was well worth it. Besides, it doesn’t bother me that much...and one could say that you’re...dripping with good looks.”

This got a chuckle from Light, and Keiko felt herself give her boyfriend a warm smile. 

“Oh, hello again, Kagami-san,” L said, looking over in her direction, “did you enjoy watching the game?”

Keiko could sense the double meaning behind L’s simple question. He was asking her indirectly what she thought of the whole situation, and if perhaps she thought that Light was more suspicious to her because he had won. 

She supposed that she should have felt a little more suspicious now, but she just felt like overall the game had been rigged from the beginning. 

_ Somehow I’m starting to think that there was much more to this game than just winning and losing...but if so, then what is L’s true gain from all this? _

“Yeah,” Keiko replied, “it kept me on my toes the entire time. That’s saying a whole lot coming from me, seeing as I don’t know very much about tennis.”

Light glanced at Keiko, “oh, is that so? I will have to work on fixing that someday, now won’t I?”

“Only if you promise to learn more about knitting,” Keiko responded while attempting to keep a straight face. In actuality, she also knew nothing about knitting either, no matter how much her mom chided her for it. However, she never really had chances to tease her boyfriend, Light was basically perfect, so whenever she was given the opportunity, she took it. That, and she wanted to keep the mood light.

Light looked aghast at Keiko’s demand, and his eyebrows furrowed, “wait a second...you don’t even know how to know, do you?” 

“You’re right, I don’t know how to knit,” Keiko said in between laughs, “but the look on your face was priceless!”

Light started to laugh a little himself, “you got me there, Keiko-chan. Although, I don’t know which is funnier, the thought of you knitting, or the thought you trying to teach me how to knit.”

“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, golden boy,” Keiko responded. 

She could feel L’s eyes burning a hole in her back, and sensed that he now wanted to spend some time alone with Light. She figured Light probably wanted to get to know L a little better himself, “anyway, I don’t want to keep you two from cleaning yourselves up, so I think this is goodbye for now. I’m gonna head on home but I’ll text you later, okay?”

_ No way...so L wanted to play a round of tennis just to get Light alone?  _

“Mhmm, sounds good,” Light replied, “I’ll see you later. I’ll be hanging out with Ryuga some more, if that’s okay with him.”

“Of course, Light-kun, we should grab a drink somewhere and cool off. Anyway, goodbye, it was nice seeing you again, Kagami-san!” She heard L call out behind her as she walked away. 

_ I know he mentioned testing Light with the messages he got from Kira a little while ago, but does he really plan on doing that now? I guess it would appear so...it looks like soon L will be deciding for sure whether or not to add Light to the investigation team. _

What Light didn’t know was, instead of heading home, Keiko was really heading towards the investigation headquarters. It was there that she would meet up with the rest of the Task Force and wait there as the rest of L’s plans for Light Yagami unfolded. 

_ /timeskip/ _

“Did I miss anything?” Keiko asked, nearly out of breath by the time she burst through the doors of the current hotel room. Watari, who had been ironing one of L’s white shirts, Mr. Yagami and the other five policemen all looked up at her as she made her way towards the couch. She decided to take a seat next to Matsuda.

“There’s been one more heart attack, it happened at around 2:30 p.m. today, the criminal was on death row,” Light’s father informed her, “there’s no way that Light could’ve…?” He trailed off, but Keiko knew exactly what his question was about to be. 

“It would have been impossible for Light to kill a criminal during the last couple hours,” Keiko responded, “Ryuzaki didn’t let him out of his sight for the whole afternoon, and in fact, I suspect that he is still with him at this very moment. ”

“Oh right, the tennis match, how did that go?” Matsuda asked her, “Ryuzaki said that he was a pro at tennis, but I remember a few years ago, Light won a district championship.”

Keiko let out a chuckle, “well it appears that Ryuzaki also won an award. He gave Light a run for his money out on the courts earlier, but Light still managed to beat him in the end. The game was super close, though.”

“I see, so Light won after all. Do you think that this strengthens Ryuzaki’s argument for the chief’s son being Kira?” Ide questioned, his eyes surveying the room. 

“It might, but whether Light won or lost, Ryuzaki still would have thought it was suspicious, or so I’m assuming. I think the match didn’t matter too much though, the real test is those pictures L kept mentioning before. They have to be,” Keiko replied. 

“Of course, that makes sense. The good news is, if Light passes, he will be able to investigate with us,” Aizawa added.

All of the sudden, Mr. Yagami had a pain stricken look on his face, and he grabbed at his heart. Keiko’s eyes widened, frozen in terror, as he groaned, now in danger of falling off his seat on the couch. She felt Matsuda jump up beside her, he was headed towards the chief. 

Keiko couldn’t bring herself to do anything other than sit in her spot on the couch. She wanted desperately to help but she was like ice; cold and numb. 

All she could think was that, if this was the work of Kira, then it wouldn’t matter what they did, the chief would soon be gone. 

No, Light Yagami’s father would soon be gone.

_ Is Kira behind this?! If so, then there’s no way that my boyfriend could be Kira, he would never kill his father so mercilessly! That’d be absolutely evil! _

“Call 1-1-9! We need to get him an ambulance, stat,” Aizawa commanded Ukita, who immediately reached in his pocket to turn on his cell phone.

A minute soon passed, then two minutes. The ambulance was called, now on its way over to the current Task Force headquarters. Light’s father was fortunately still breathing, and Keiko hoped that it meant Kira hadn’t struck him after all. 

If he had, Keiko suspected that Mr. Yagami would have been long dead by now, seeing as it appeared Kira’s heart attack victims didn’t live longer than a minute. 

_ There’s no way that this was an act of Kira. He would have died otherwise. Light’s father must have just collapsed from stress. It’s hard enough for me to have to suspect my own boyfriend of being Kira, I can’t even imagine what it must be like for him having to suspect his own son, his own flesh and blood. _

“Luckily, I think the chief will be okay, but are you going to be alright?” Matsuda asked, focusing his attention back onto Keiko, “he might just be the chief to us, but to you, he’s your boyfriend’s father.”

Keiko could feel as Matsuda gently reached for and grabbed onto her hand, in hopes to help her stand up from her spot on the couch. She gladly accepted his help as she was not sure she could have trusted herself to stand up on her own. 

“I-I think so,” she stuttered out, glancing away from Mr. Yagami and focusing her attention on the tall, dark haired policemen, “in all honesty, I’m more worried about Light.”

He gave her a sad yet apologetic smile, “fair enough. He has a lot on his plate right now, but so you do, Keiko-chan.”

“Take the girl home, Matsuda,” Aizawa demanded softly, interrupting their conversation “and I don’t care what Ryuzaki might say, we should give her a little break, just until Chief Yagami is feeling better again. It can’t be easy for them.”

“Understood,” Matsuda replied, turning back to Keiko, “let’s get you home, Keiko-chan.”

Matsuda lightly reached out for her arm, pulling her towards him and leading her outside of the hotel room. Keiko quite literally felt like she was a walking zombie as the two of them walked towards where Matsuda had parked the spare police car.

“Alright,” Matsuda awkwardly called out in an obvious attempt to try and liven things up a bit, “next stop: The Kagami household.” 

“T-thank you, Matsuda-san,” Keiko whispered, barely audible as she got into the front passenger seat of the car. 

The young policeman gave her a quizzical look, “there’s no need to thank me, Kagami-san. I’m only doing my job; it’s my duty as a police officer to ensure that you get home safe and sound.”

Keiko gave a soft smile as she thoughtfully replied, “yes, yes I know. But, even so, that doesn’t mean I can’t be thankful. I know you almost never get noticed for the things that you do, it’s like people take you for granted sometimes. I just wanted to let you know that someone out there is thankful to have you around to do small yet meaningful tasks like this…” 

A moment later, Keiko looked up and noticed that Matsuda’s face was now slightly tinted pink, and she had to bite her lip to stifle a small laugh from escaping her throat as she closed the door to her side of the car.

_ Ah, I see...he’s really not used to receiving compliments that often, is he? How cute. _

“Yeah, I’m thankful...heh, even if you are an idiot a majority of the time,” she added quietly to herself, watching as Matsuda nearly tripped over his own feet as he walked over to the driver’s side. 

He was still rather flustered as he got into his seat and put the police car into gear, “uh, well, t-thank you, Kagami-san...be sure to buckle up.”

The whole car ride home was filled with Matsuda’s awkward rambling, but Keiko was glad for it, because for a few minutes she was able to forget about the Kira case and all the horrors that went along with it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I googled it and 119 is the emergency number in Asia, rather than 911. #themoreyouknow.  
> Also, as always comments are welcome! I haven't gotten any comments so far on here, so please if you're reading, let me know what you think(:


	12. Chapter Twelve: Unraveling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> more good stuff happening, heh. (: lemme know what you guys think!

 

Keiko’s POV:

Keiko followed closely behind her boyfriend as he stepped out of the hospital’s elevator. Her stomach was in knots. The night before, after Matsuda had finished taking her home, she had received a phone call from Light, explaining how he heard his father recently had suffered a heart attack. Keiko didn’t have the heart to tell him that she unfortunately witnessed it as it was happening.

Instead, she didn’t say a single word, and just continued listening to Light. He further told her that he had attempted to try and visit him in the hospital, only to be turned down by the nurse who insisted that visiting hours were over, no matter how hard he had tried to persuade her to bend the rules for him.

Light then mentioned that he wanted to try and visit him again that day, and asked if Keiko wanted to tag along with him. That way, he wouldn’t have to go alone, and his father would finally be able to meet his girlfriend, which Light explained he hoped would make his father happy.

Keiko also didn’t have the heart to explain to her boyfriend that she had already met his father a while ago, almost two months ago, to be exact. While she knew that it would be risky to go with Light to visit his father, she couldn’t turn down her boyfriend’s request. She would have felt too guilty had she said no to him, considering that she was secretly spying on him and that she had been there when his father collapsed. 

Now, there they were, out of the elevator and heading towards the room where Soichiro Yagami was laying down in his hospital bed. She hoped with all of her might that somehow neither she nor Light’s father would give away the fact that they had already met before. Or the fact that they had been investigating Light together with Ryuzaki and the rest of the Task Force for the past two months.

“Hey, dad,” Light said as the two stepped inside of the hospital room. He took a seat in the chair closest to his father, and Keiko took a seat in the chair right next to his. “I’m really glad to see you’re stable. I was so worried last night, but the nurse insisted I wait until today to visit...so I did...and I hope you don’t mind; I brought a guest with me.”

Keiko watched as Mr. Yagami’s eyes flickered open. His gaze first focused on his son, then drifted over to where she was sitting. There was a blank look on his face which gave away nothing as he stared at her, and she let out a quiet sigh of relief. 

Light’s father then coughed a little, and he looked back over at his son. He said, “no, no. That’s fine, Light. Any friend of yours is welcome here. It’s nice that you two came, it was getting rather boring doing nothing here...”

Light chuckled, “I’m sure, but it’s also a good thing that you aren’t doing anything right now, dad. The reason that you’re in here is because you stressed yourself out too hard, hard enough to give yourself a heart attack. You need to take a good break.”

“I suppose that’s true. However, Light, you should know by now, with my line of work, one never gets a break. Crime doesn’t sleep, so neither do I,” Light’s father replied, and focused his attention back onto Keiko, “but I digress. Anyway, who is your friend?”

Light smiled at his father, and Keiko’s heart gave a lurch as he grabbed her hand, interlocking her fingers with his, “actually, dad, she’s more than just a friend of mine…you see, I’ve been meaning to tell you but because you’ve been so busy lately, I never got the chance. This is Keiko Kagami...she’s my girlfriend.”

Keiko watched Mr. Yagami’s carefully, scrutinizing his every move for something that would give away that the two had already been introduced long before. It appeared that Light’s father was quite a good actor so far. Or perhaps he was just too tired to properly show any deep emotion.  On second thought, given his father’s personality, she figured it was probably the latter.

Mr. Yagami offered Keiko a half smile, “Keiko-chan, it’s nice to meet you.”

“It’s nice to finally meet you too...I, uh,” she started to say, and almost choked on her next words. She mentally cursed herself for being so dumb and hoped that Light didn’t think she was being suspicious, “um, I heard what happened. How are you feeling?”

“Well, last night wasn’t pretty. However, today I’m feeling much better,” he replied, and turned towards his son, “I’m hoping that they will let me out of here soon.”

“Not too soon, I hope,” Light said, “as I said before, you need to take a good rest.”

Keiko nodded, “yes, Yagami-san, just rest here for a while, and try to clear your head. Your son tells me you work pretty hard, so you deserve it.”

Mr. Yagami looked back over at Keiko, and gave a little sigh, looking defeated. She knew that he wished he could be anywhere else but that hospital. While he was exhausted, he was also clearly restless, but that hospital bed was best place for him at the moment. 

The rest of the visit went by pretty fast. Light spent the time telling his father stories about Keiko and him, like how she was over to study with him, how he had officially asked her out, and about how both she and Light had received perfect scores on To-Oh’s entrance exam. All things his father already knew about.

The whole time she sat there, Keiko wished she could just disappear. It was awkward enough working with Light’s father under his nose, but it was even worse sitting there with Light visiting his father and having to pretend she only just met him. She was relieved when the nurse had finally popped in to scold them, saying that visiting hours had been over ten minutes ago.

_ /timeskip/ _

Later that evening, Keiko was curled up in her bed, skimming through the different channels on her television, stopping when she heard the word Kira on Sakura T.V.. At the top of the screen she could see there was a banner that read “messages from Kira, in the form of four videos”.

Even though she knew she was supposed to also be taking a break from the investigation, she couldn’t ignore something like this. There was also a chance that it was probably just a hoax but she just couldn’t take that risk. 

Keiko decided to keep on watching, grabbing her notebook full of investigation notes and a pen.

“-in other words, all of the reporters and staff here at Sakura T.V. are Kira’s hostages. Aside from that, we have a professional obligation to share this message with you. I assure you that this is not a hoax and that Sakura T.V. is not airing this tape for the purposes of sensationalism,” the news anchor said, and there was a serious look on his face, as well as on the faces of the other news anchors sitting next to him.

He continued on, “a few days ago, our director here at Sakura T.V. received four tapes, and after a thorough examination, there are no doubt that they are from Kira themself. The first tape we received contained a prediction regarding the time of death of two suspected criminals who had recently been arrested. As predicted, at the exact time that Kira had specified, both men died suddenly of heart attacks yesterday morning.”

_ What? This isn’t like Kira...he’s never pulled a stunt like this before, so why is he doing this now? There’s no way this could be real...could it? _

“Kira has instructed us to air this second tape today at exactly 5:59 p.m., and we do intend to comply with his demands. This tape should offer proof of his powers by predicting yet another death. Beyond that, we understand that it contains a message to all the people of the world from Kira….and now, the video.”

There was a shuffling noise heard in the background, but soon, the screen switched over from the news anchors faces’ to a gray background, in the middle of that was the word “Kira” written in gothic letters. As soon as the video started to play, Keiko noticed that it was of pretty poor quality.

“Ah, hem...greetings. I am Kira. If this video is being aired on April 18th at exactly 5:59 p.m. as I requested, then the time now is 5:59… and 47 seconds...48...49...please change the channel to I.O. T.V., news anchor Mr. Kento Tamura will die of a heart attack at exactly 6:00 p.m.”

As soon as the clock near Keiko’s bed turned to 6:00 p.m., she did as “Kira” instructed, and changed channels. She gave a yelp, covering her mouth as, indeed, the news anchor was hunched over in his chair, dead. 

Keiko kept on watching. Now that she was sure it wasn’t a hoax, her eyes weren’t going to leave the screen until the broadcast was over. However, once the broadcast was over, she knew exactly where she was headed next, whether she was supposed to be on break or not. She couldn’t rest now, not with this. She quickly changed the channel back, feeling a little sick to her stomach.

On screen, Kira predicted the death of another news anchor, but this time Keiko didn’t change channels. She couldn’t bear to see another news anchor hunched over, and instead waited until he was finished making his predictions.

“Now that you have seen proof of my powers, you should have no trouble believing that I am Kira. People of the world, please listen to me, the last thing I want to do is kill the innocent.”

At this, Keiko couldn’t help but to snort. 

“Sure you don’t,” she muttered bitterly. On the inside, her her stomach was churning, and there was a buzzing in her ears. She had to do something about this soon.

“I hate evil and love justice. I have always thought of the police as allies, not enemies. I intend to create a new, perfect world that is free from evil. If you were to join me in my mission, together I know we can make it happen...and as long as no one tries to catch me, the innocent will not be killed. Even if you don’t believe me or my ideals, as long as you do not publicize your views in the media, you will be spared. All you have to do now is be patient. I will create a better world, one that is free from evil, that we can all enjoy. Say goodbye to the world as you know it. Soon we will have a new world, a world only filled with people that are kind and honest....try to imagine it, a world where people can roam the streets, no matter what time, and not have to worry about getting mugged or shot. A world in which no woman will have to worry about being sexually assaulted on the streets after dark. No more robbers, no more murderers...you have to admit, even if you do not support me, this is what an ideal world looks like to you.”

There was a pause, and Keiko gave a sigh. While she could easily say that she would love to live in a world like that, she also knew that such a world could never exist. No matter what, criminals would continue to be born. Also there was the fact that, no matter what, murder was still murder. What Kira was doing was wrong, it didn’t matter how pure he thought his intentions were. 

The broadcast wasn’t over yet, but she couldn’t sit for much longer. Especially when she saw that the view switched from the Kira video tape to a video feed taken from a camera outside of the Sakura T.V. building. 

“Breaking news!” the news anchor said, “we interrupt the video tapes to bring you news that a police officer that was trying to enter the building has just collapsed, dead on the scene...this is clearly the work of Kira. Is he sending a message to people out there, telling them not to publicly oppose him? Keep watching, and we will continue playing his video soon.”

Her heart felt like it was about to leap out of her chest. In the middle of the screen there was a body lying on the cold, hard pavement in front of Sakura T.V.’s main entrance. 

Although she had only known him for almost two months, she still felt the tears threatening to fall from her eyes. Hirokazu Ukita, a dedicated and loyal member of the Task Force, was dead. Her heart ached. She bolted from her bed, and headed towards the hallway outside of her bedroom.

“Keiko-chan!” her mother called after her as she dashed out of her room and towards her front door, “you know there’s no running in the house! What on earth has gotten into you?”

Keiko stopped a moment to explain as she slipped on her tennis shoes and a light spring jacket, “sorry, mom, it’s an emergency. I have to go, I’m not sure when I will be back, so please don’t wait up for me.” 

Keiko’s mother, Kotoko Kagami, gave her a strange look, “I see, you’ve been leaving me home alone an awful lot lately. I know you’re usually busy but it’s been even worse as of late...is everything okay?”

“No,” Keiko replied, a hard look on her face, “but hopefully one day, it will be...as I said, don’t wait up for me...I love you, mom.”

With that, she sprinted out of her house and onto the sidewalk. Keiko could hear her mother yelling several things after her, but she didn’t listen. She had only one goal in mind: to get to the Task Force as fast as was humanly possible. Luckily enough, the hotel that the Task Force was staying at this week was only a few blocks away from her own neighborhood, so getting there didn’t take her too long. 

However, it was only when she arrived at the door to the hotel room that she realized she had left the key card, which would allow her to enter the room, at home. She resorted to banging on the door, her heart thumping like mad in her chest as she did so. 

Keiko could feel herself starting to shake, she was so desperate to get inside, and she knew that she was going to burst if she had to wait any longer. All the emotions she had been holding in up until that point were now spilling out all at once. She had lost her cool composure. Her thoughts were racing. It wasn’t just Ukita’s face that was flickering through her mind, it was also that poor news anchor, and those FBI agents...all of the innocent people who had died because of Kira’s evil actions.

“It’s me!” she called out, “p-please, o-open up! I c-can’t just sit here and d-do nothing while more and m-more innocent people are d-dying!”

Fortunately, a few seconds later, she was greeted by Watari opening up the door for her. She sighed heavily in relief. As she stepped into the room she instantly felt the burning gazes of the four active members of the Task Force and the great detective. 

“Kagami-san,” L snapped at her, a little too harshly for her taste. Keiko could see the determined look on his face as he walked towards her, and she closed her eyes, bracing for the lecture that she figured was about to come.

Except...it never came. 

There was silence for a few seconds instead. Keiko slowly opened to eyes only to realize that she was now face to face with L, who was holding an unreadable expression while studying her face. She was sure he was scrutinizing every inch.

_ But why? There’s more important matters than how my face looks right now! Kira’s on the loose, probably still broadcasting who knows what to the people of the world and we just lost Ukita to him! We can’t afford to lose anyone else or waste any more time! _

She opened her mouth, about to speak, when all of the sudden L tentatively reached a finger out towards her face, causing the words she was about to say to die before they even had a chance to reach her lips. 

“You’re crying,” L murmured matter-of-factly, and for a moment, Keiko swore she saw a flash of genuine emotion cross his face. It left almost as quickly as it came and she watched as his finger hesitantly came closer and closer towards her upper cheek. He slowly and gently, as though she were made of porcelain, touched her face, picking up a stray tear that was rolling down her left cheek.

Keiko felt herself freeze up as the detective touched her. He inspected the teardrop, watching as it now rolled down his finger and onto the palm of his hand.

“H-huh?” Keiko stuttered out, trying to wrap her mind around what had just occurred between the two of them. One of her fingers traveled towards her face, and she caught one of her tears herself, closely examining it.

_ I’m...crying…? I hadn’t even realized... _

Aizawa cleared his throat, breaking the sudden silence that was filling the hotel room, “uh, Ryuzaki-san…I hate to break this up...but now really isn’t...uh, we’re wasting precious time.”

“Right,” L looked up from his hand, and gave another quick unreadable glance at Keiko before focusing his attention on the stern looking police officer. 

Just like that, he was back to business. The moment was over. Keiko released a breath she didn’t know she had been holding.

He walked back over to his desk, “please, I know that this has been an emotional night for all of us, but it would be best if we could all just remain as calm as possible. Initially, I deduced that Kira needed both a name and a face to kill. However, judging from what we’ve just seen, I’d say that it’s not entirely impossible that Kira can kill with only a face. All I know for sure is that Kira is in that T.V. station or he’s somewhere close by, in a place where he can watch everyone who enters the building. Perhaps-”

“If Kira is in the area, then isn’t that  _ why _ we should get down there?” Aizawa interrupted, heading towards the door near where Keiko was still standing, his hand hovering over the handle.

L sat in his chair in front of the multiple T.V. monitors that had been set up for the investigation, “if we rush down there now, there’s a good possibility that we will all be killed. So sit back down, Aizawa-san, unless you want to become one of Kira’s victims yourself.”

“Wasn’t it you that said we would have to risk our lives to catch Kira?!” Aizawa demanded, his face now turning a deep reddish purple.

“I said what I said, but risking my life to catch Kira and doing something that I know will cost me my life are two entirely different things,” L emotionlessly replied.

“H-he’s right,” Keiko softly spoke up, drying her face with the edge of her jacket. She was no longer crying. 

She took a step closer to Aizawa, staring him straight in the eyes as she said, “we already lost Ukita-san, we can’t lose anyone else. If we go down to the T.V. station, I know that we will ultimately share his fate. Instead we should stay here where it’s safe and try to formulate a new course of action.”

Aizawa sighed, taking his hand off of the door handle, and walking back towards his spot on the couch. Keiko followed him towards the couches and took a spot next to Matsuda. 

The Kira recording started to play once more on the news station, “I am now awaiting a response from the police. They must decide whether or not they will help me create a better world, one free of crime. Please announce your decision on the 6 o’clock news in four days. I prepared two videos; one is to be aired if the answer is yes, one to be aired if the answer is no.”

With that, the broadcast finally ended. 

However, that still wasn’t the end of it. As soon as Kira’s video tape was finished, another news report was being thrown at the viewers, “a vehicle has just driven through the front doors of the station!”

“Well...that’s one way to get into a building without being seen by Kira,” L commented.

“...but who would…do that…?” Aizawa murmured, standing up to get closer to the T.V. screens. The rest of the Task Force, Keiko included, stood up as well, trying to get as close as possible.

“Huh,” the news anchor said, and the image of the station’s broken glass doors filled the screens, “we are still outside of Sakura T.V., as you can see, a police car has just arrived.”

“So we’re not alone,” Matsuda announced, “it appears that there are other police officers out there willing to stand up to Kira.”

“Aizawa-san,” L said, “you know Deputy Director Kitamura’s cell phone number, right? Please give him a call.”

Aizawa looked a little confused, but did as he was told and dialled the number. He was about to put the phone up to his ear when L grabbed it out of his hands, “yes, hello? This is L speaking. There’s something I need you to do for me. Watch the news and you will see the police officers who are fighting hard to bring Kira to justice, or so they think they are. If you don’t take control of them as their superior, we’ll have a tragedy on our hands.”

L paused a moment, probably listening to the deputy director’s response as the anchorman visibly gasped on the news, showing yet again the scene outside of the broadcasting station, “the two police officers who rushed forward to help have suddenly collapsed on the sidewalk. I think we may be in danger ourselves! We are moving away from the scene.”

All of the sudden, there was a ringing noise from the back of the room. Keiko and the rest of the Task Force looked back to see that it was Watari’s cell phone, “it’s from Chief Yagami,” he announced. 

L lifted Aizawa’s phone away from his ear and reached his hand out behind him, “please give me the phone immediately.”

Watari handed L his cell phone, and L spoke into the receiver, “Yagami-san, it’s me...so that was you in the police van….yes, but what about your condition, are you alright?...please hold the line for a second.”

He switched back to Aizawa’s phone, “Deputy Director, it was Chief Yagami that just drove into the building. Are your preparations complete?...good.”

With that, L hung up Aizawa’s phone and handed it back to him. Afterwards, he held Watari’s phone up to his ear again,  “Yagami-san, please wait five minutes, after exactly five minutes have passed, I want you to walk out of the front entrance...I understand your concern, but please, trust me, you will be in safe hands...yes, see you soon…”

L closed up Watari’s phone as well, placing it on the tray Watari had left near his desk.

“There you have it,” the anchorman announced, “the police have refused to cooperate with Kira. Instead, they have shown that they are ready to fight. And, as much as I fear for my own life in saying so...this is right! And it must be done! Kira has become a threat to our very constitution and as its citizens, we must fight back.”

L swiveled his chair back around so that he now faced Keiko and the rest of the Task Force, a determined look on his face. 

“And now, we wait,” he announced.

_ /timeskip/ _

“Yagami-san!” Matsuda called, jumping up as Watari helped the worn-down chief into the room, leading him over to the couches. 

As he was sitting down Light’s father said, “Ryuzaki-san, I’m sorry for acting out on my own like that. I have to admit, I got a little bit carried away. Here-” he shoved a brown paper bag towards L’s chair, “the tapes and envelopes that Kira sent are all in there.”

“I can’t thank you enough,” L responded, picking up the bag and emptying out its contents. 

Mr. Yagami settled into the seat, “ahh, I better rest for a minute.”

“Take all of the time you need, Yagami-san,” Keiko said, offering her boyfriend’s father a smile, “what you did just now was both reckless and brave.”

“The postmark is from Osaka,” L mused as he rifled through the stuff, “hm...interesting...Aizawa-san, could you please take these papers to the crime lab right away? I will review the tapes here with the rest of the group, and we will see if they reveal anything.”

“Yes, of course,” Aizawa said, helping L stuff the envelopes back into the bags, “I still have a couple friends down in the labs, I will make sure that they check, and then double check, everything thoroughly. You have my word.”

When Aizawa left the room, L turned to the rest of the Task Force, “now, let’s get to work. There’s a lot of investigating we have to do…”


	13. Chapter Thirteen: Copycat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> heheh, thoughts?

 

 

 

Keiko’s POV:

_ There were many members of the Japanese police force lying face down on the cold pavement all around Keiko. She didn’t have to try and check their pulse to realize that they were already dead.  _

_ Kira had gotten to them first, meaning that she was too late in trying to save them.  _

_ Tears were starting to form in her eyes, and she covered her mouth to try and keep from either retching or screaming. The smell of death could be quite overpowering, and she felt like she was simply about to go insane.  _

_ She closed her eyes a moment and tried to compose herself even though her heart was hammering about wildly in her chest and she could feel the pit of despair growing larger and larger in her stomach.  _

_ After a few seconds, she opened her eyes again. Now slightly calmer, she stepped carefully over the bodies as she went deeper and deeper through the darkened alleyway, hoping to find a place where the remains ended  _

_ However, no matter what, there were always more bodies appearing on the ground that she had to try and avoid stepping on. They just didn’t stop coming, and she was now a long ways down the pathway. _

_ “Just how many people did you kill?!” she called out, “I know you’re here, Kira! Answer me, dammit!  _

_ “That does not matter. What matters is...showing you that this is what happens to those that dare to try and cross me,” the voice said from the shadows behind her. She looked back, but she saw nothing, only the darkness of the night staring back at her. _

_ Turning back around, she then saw the familiar faces of the Task Force materializing right in front of her. There was Mr. Yagami, with his glasses and dark furrowed eyebrows, Matsuda with that stupid grin of his, Ide with his odd lack of eyebrows, Mogi with his spiky, black hair pointing out in every direction, and Aizawa, with his afro and steep eyebrows. On the very end, there was L, who had a thumb in his mouth, his raven hair was mussed up and his dark eyes were staring straight into Keiko’s.  _

_ She reached out to them, but as soon as she was within arms length of touching them, they slowly disappeared back into the night without leaving a trace. _

_ She heard a maniacal laugh ringing throughout the alleyway, “I just got rid of one of them, that damned Ukita and they’ll be next! You know, that is, if I don’t get to you first!” _

_ “No! We’ll catch you, together as a team, as the Task Force! I swear, I won’t rest until you’re caught and arrested!” Keiko yelled out, looking out at the night sky as she did so. However, Kira didn’t give her a proper response, instead he started to laugh again, his laughter making her cover her ears. _

_ “I’d like to see you try!” he said after a while. Keiko crumpled down onto the ground, defeated, grasping at her heart in pain. She could quite literally feel the life draining out of her. She opened her mouth, trying to scream, but nothing came out. What else could she do? She slowly started to close her eyes, letting death overcome her. _

_ “Keiko-chan!” a voice cried out suddenly, and she could feel herself being shaken, “Keiko-chan! Please, wake up!” _

“H-huh?” Keiko’s eyes bolted open, and she could feel the sticky sweat that had formed in the shape of a puddle clinging to the back of her shirt and to her forehead. The first thing she saw was Matsuda’s face hovering just slightly right above hers. His round, dark brown eyes were full of concern. 

_ What the…?! It was just a dream? I must have fell asleep while L was going over the video tapes...but...it felt so real. Ugh, _ Keiko shivered, her mind was slowly trying to switch gears back to reality, _ I can’t let that nightmare actually become a reality. I can’t let Kira kill me, I can’t be one of his many victims. No, I refuse to let that be my fate. _

As soon as Matsuda noticed she was awake, he breathed a sigh of relief, slumping over on the couch cushion next to her, “oh thank goodness, you’re finally up. You were moving around a little and making a lot of noise in your sleep, it sounded like you were having a-”

“Nightmare,” L finished for him, glancing at Keiko, who moved so that she was now sitting up on the couch properly, “anyway, it’s a good thing Matsuda-san finally woke you up. You were starting to distract me from my work. It would’ve irritated me.”

“Ryuzaki-san!” Matsuda called out, eyeing the great detective warily, “i-it’s n-not her fault she was having a nightmare! I have to admit, I’ve been having quite a few of them myself lately...anyway, I think we should send her home. It’s late, it’s already past midnight now.”

A couple seconds of silence passed, and Keiko glanced from L to Matsuda, still trying to process what what going on. She felt pretty groggy. While she had slept, the quality of her sleep had been poor. She fought a yawn and decided that coffee would be just the thing to wake her up. Stretching a little, she stood up and headed over to the coffee machine in the corner of the hotel room. 

“No,” she heard Matsuda correct as she poured herself a cup. 

He was now giving L a hardened look, glaring him down, “I take that back. We should have sent her back home hours ago, after she first showed up. She was crying when she came here, she was in no state to help us.”

“Are you quite done with your theatrics, Matsuda-san? I’m trying to work here,” L questioned darkly, glancing up from his papers to look over at Matsuda. He looked rather irritated that he was still being interrupted from his work. Clearly the last thing he wanted to do right then was to listen to Matsuda’s grumbling. 

“No..I’m not...listen, Ryuzaki-san,” Matsuda continued, “it’s clear that she’s having a tough time right now, and she’s just a kid. Don’t you think she should have more of a break?! You’ve been pushing her pretty hard, even making her spy on Light while she’s supposed to be just on regular dates with him! It has to be rough on her, considering that her boyfriend is your primary suspect. And after what happened earlier tonight, well, as I said, you should have sent her home. She clearly isn’t ready to come back to the Task Force yet, it’s draining her.”

“Matsuda-san, you idiot. You’re talking like I’m the one who's responsible for her,” L responded, glancing over at Keiko. She could see a yet another quick flicker of annoyance cross his face, “do I  _ look  _ like her mother? Anyway, I clearly told her the very first day I met up with her that she would be able to come and go as she pleased. Therefore, it’s up to her, not up to me. She came back today on her own accord, and while her interruption earlier was rather abrupt, Keiko-”

“ _ Keiko  _ is right here and  _ she _ can hear you two, you know,” Keiko interrupted irritability after taking a sip of her coffee and realizing they were talking about her, “Ryuzaki’s right though, Matsuda-san. I’m here because I want to be here. While I admit that living a double life is hard, there’s no other way I’d have it. I can’t just sit still, not when I now have the chance to help you guys out. Please have faith in me and understand, I want to...no...I  _ have  _ to prove myself and make my father in heaven proud. I have to prove that I’m not just a  _ ‘kid _ ’, like you say I am.”

_ If my father were alive, even though I didn’t really have a chance to get to know him that well, considering he was always traveling around for cases and I was fairly young when he died, I have a feeling that he would want me to investigate this case. After all, my mother says I get my sense of justice from him. Matsuda has to understand that I can’t step down now! I have to survive until the end, until justice is finally served!  _

Matsuda sighed, running a hand through his already mussed hair, “But Keiko-chan, you’re the youngest one here, it might be a bit too much for you. U-Ukita-san just...well..you know...and this case, I suspect that it will only get worse from here on out...look at how it’s starting to affect yo-”

“Mind your own business, and don’t be stupid, Matsuda-san! I’ll be fine,” Keiko snapped out. She then frowned, feeling instant regret for how agitated she just sounded. The investigation had apparently been wearing her down more than she realized.

_ Dammit…the last thing I want to do is make him feel bad, L already does a good enough job of that. He only means well.  _

She then spoke softer, but was still determined in her response, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to snap at you, I know you only mean well, you always do...but please, don’t worry about me. Besides, even if I’m the youngest one here, I’m not the only one who is having a hard time. What about you and the rest of the Task Force, especially Yagami-san? Light may be my boyfriend, but that’s  _ his _ son that is under the most suspicion right now.”

“She has a point you know. It’s not just her that’s going through a hard time right now. I think the Chief is having a pretty difficult time himself considering he already worked himself into a heart attack...therefore, Matsuda-san, I’m sure Kagami-san knows and understands the dangers of this investigation,” L commented, no longer bothering to look up from his computer screen, “and she already said that she wants to be here, no, that she is determined to be here. So just let her be. No matter what, there’s a one hundred percent chance you won’t be able to change her mind.”

Matsuda opened his mouth to speak, but he decided against it when he saw Keiko looking rather fiercely in his general direction as she sipped her coffee. He just sighed, giving into defeat. 

“Thank, you, Ryuzaki-san,” Keiko muttered, realizing she had just won with Ryuzaki’s help. She moved closer to where he sat in his chair, getting a closer look at the raven haired detective. 

“There’s no reason to thank me,” L replied, his eyes still glued to the screen despite her close proximity, “I didn’t do anything spectacular. All I did was state the truth of the matter.”

“I guess so,” Keiko started, throwing away the paper coffee cup in a trash can nearby his desk. She then took a good look around the room, “anyway, why is it just us here? Where are the others?”

“Well, Mogi-san is at the police station. Chief Yagami decided that it would be best that, unless Ryuzaki-san has a meeting that he wants us all present for, we should have someone at the station at all times, just in case,” Matsuda explained, “as far as the rest, they went back to the station as well for a bit, as they had to sort out some official business with the higher ups because Uk-Uki...well they should be coming back shortly.”

“Like right about now,” L announced, looking over at the door. 

Keiko glanced behind her, watching as the door slowly opened, revealing a tired looking Mr. Yagami, with Ide and Aizawa trailing behind him. 

“Did we miss anything?” the chief questions, walking over to where Ryuzaki was sitting. 

“No, on the contrary, you’re right on time,” L responded, holding up one of the tapes, “I’ve just finished reviewing the tapes...they were definitely interesting.”

The rest of the Task Force gathered around L, watching him as he set the tapes on the desk out in front of him, “you see, if the police had said yes, and cooperated with Kira, then tape number three was supposed to be aired. If the answer was no, then tape four. Tape three details the conditions for cooperation, quite simply, he is requesting that we broadcast the names of more criminals every night on the news. He seemed particularly interested in criminals that have assaulted others, criminals who have hurt or taken advantage of the weak and defenseless. Of course, Kira would play the role of a judge in all of this. Furthermore, as proof of the police’s cooperation, he wanted the police force and L, myself, to appear on T.V. and announce to the world that they sided with Kira.”

“What about the contents of tape four, if we had said no?” Mr. Yagami questioned. 

L held up the tape, “well, it was more or less the same thing, just a different wording.”

“So bottom line was, he wanted you guys to show your faces on T.V…,” Keiko replied.

_ Interesting indeed...this definitely proves that Kira at least needs a face to kill someone...but how about a name…? Come to think of it, Ukita-san didn’t have his real name on him when he died, all the policemen have been carrying fake badges around with them...looking at all the past suspects, Kira has needed both a name and a face, how come that suddenly changed? And these video tapes aren’t characteristic of Kira at all either... _

The sound of L’s voice interrupted Keiko from her thoughts, “yes, it would appear that way. He needs our faces to kill us in case we were to anything suspicious, so in other words, he would be holding our lives as insurance if we had said yes.”

“That’s just sick,” Matsuda muttered, earning him the stares of everyone else in the room, “what? It’s true, I’m just the only one vocalizing it.”

L pointedly continued on, “Yagami-san, it should go without saying that the answer is no. Please, give Sakura T.V. the okay to play tape number four tomorrow on the news. Oh, and Watari-san? Please get me some cake...”

_ How could he even think about cake even at a time like this?  _ Keiko wondered, giving him a strange look. 

“What?” L questioned, “I can have Watari get you a slice of cake as well, all you have to do is ask...if that’s why you’re staring at me.”

Keiko just shook her head, “no thank you.”

A few minutes and a slice of cake later, L turned on one of the T.V.’s in the hotel room, popping in the fourth video tape to show the rest of the Task Force, “I think that it is unfortunate that your answer is no. It is clear that the police wish to oppose me. This will not go unpunished. So I will start by taking the life of either the director general of the National Police Association or the detective known as L who is currently leading the investigation against me. The director general or L? Who will pay the price for your refusal to cooperate with me? You have four days to decide.”

With that, the tape ended, going to static. L turned off the T.V. and faced the Task Force. 

“Given the options, I would think that the top police officials of all the nations would probably rather have me appear on T.V. rather than you, Chief Yagami. That would be the most reasonable and right choice,” L said, taking a bite of the strawberry cake in front of him, “well, we still have four days before before it happens. Perhaps we can find some countermeasure...I mean, after all this, it would really annoy me if I am killed by the first person to jump on the Kira bandwagon.”

“Ryuzaki-san, what exactly do you mean by that?” Light’s father asked, leaning forward closer towards L.

“I mean that there is a strong possibility that this Kira is a fake...no we should think of him more as a second Kira,” L calmly replied.

“A-a second Kira?” Matsuda furrowed his eyebrows, and Keiko could hear the collective gasps from the rest of the people in the room.

_ A second Kira…? Looking at the evidence, that could definitely be a possibility. It even makes a lot of sense. _

“I don’t understand,” Aizawa commented, “why do you think that there’s a copycat Kira? Please explain it to us.”

Keiko jumped in, “I agree with Ryuzaki-san...let’s see...first of all there’s the fact that this whole broadcast was very unlike Kira, the Kira we have been searching for up until this point didn’t seem like someone who would pull a stunt like this, he even killed innocent people, which goes against his ideals.” She swallowed hard, “also, this Kira didn’t need Ukita-san’s real name in order to kill him,” Keiko finished, earning her a smirk from L.

“She has a point, a very good point. There is a strong possibility that this Kira may only need a face to kill someone, which pokes a hole in the theory that Kira needs both a name and a face to kill someone, which had been the pattern up until this point, indicating the chance of a second Kira,” L replied, “beyond that, I looked at the victims he used for his predictions on tape number one. Their purpose was to prove to Sakura T.V.’s staff that he is Kira. Both of the victims were only reported in tabloids and daytime talk shows, so they weren’t exactly hardened criminals. The real Kira has no need to prove himself using such insignificant criminals, but in the second Kira’s views, he wanted to make absolutely certain that he didn’t predict the death of a criminal that the original Kira might end up killing first.”

“Hmm...Ryuzaki-san, if you had to put a number on it...what are the chances that there is a second Kira?” Mr. Yagami asked, adjusting his glasses.

“I’d say it’s...more than seventy percent. I really don’t like the way he operates. As Kagami-san said, it’s not like Kira. Aside from killing those who were going after him, he has stayed away from killing the innocent. Anyway, if we can capture one of the Kiras, I think that we will gather a lot of insight as to how to catch the other one.”

L paused for a few moments, letting his words sink in before he continued on again, “Chief Yagami, I mentioned before that I was thinking of adding your son to the Task Force. I think that this would be the perfect time to do so. Therefore, may I ask your son to cooperate in this investigation? Oh, and Kagami-san, is this okay with you as well?”

Before Keiko could answer, the Chief looked over at Ryuzaki, “if you want my son to join the Task Force, does this mean that he has finally been cleared of suspicion?”

“Well...I can’t say that he’s been completely cleared, but to be honest, I could use his deductive skills.”

“If Light-kun wants to join, then so be it. It’s fine with me, and that means I no longer have to lie to him or spy on him for you. That would be some good news for me,” Keiko responded, looking at Light’s father, “unless you disagree with adding him?”

“No, no. I agree with you. Ryuzaki-san, if my son wants to cooperate with you, then I have no reason to stop you.”

“Good, good. However, please, neither of you tell him that this latest Kira might be a fake. I don’t want him to know that yet,” L said, polishing off the last of his cake and pushing the empty plate forward on the table, “I want to make it appear to him that we are still chasing after one Kira. Is that understood?”

“Yes, of course,” Mr. Yagami replied, and Keiko nodded, the wheels in her head were turning as she tried to figure out what L was thinking. 

_ This has to be some sort of test...he must want to see what Light is going to conclude from all this. Seeing as he still suspects Light, if Light answers in a way that is suspicious to L, that could end up with L suspecting him even more...however, I still think that there’s not a big enough possibility that my boyfriend is Kira, so it should be fine...and if Light joins, I will no longer have to lie to him, and that’ll mean I will get to see him more, which is another plus! I think, ultimately, adding Light to this investigation will end up being a good thing. Hopefully, at least. Only time will tell. _


	14. Chapter Fourteen: Test

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m pretty nervous about posting this chapter...because I really hope y’all don’t mind the ending ;D it’s necessary to take this story in the direction I want it to go...heh…

 

 

 

Light’s POV:

“Light,” he heard his father say into the phone, “Ryuzaki-san, or L, whom you know as Ryuga...has decided that he would like you to help out with the Kira investigation. If you are still interested, then I can provide you with the hotel information. That being said, if you do want to help out, you will have to come here right away.”

_ Perfect...just like that, my time has come. I have no doubt that Keiko had some part in this. I knew she would be useful to me...and whenever I was with her, I was careful not to act in a suspicious manner so that she would have nothing out of the ordinary to report to L about me. That way, L would want to recruit me, even if he’s still a little suspicious. That, and with the appearance of this new Second Kira, they probably want my expertise. Heh...of course I’m still interested, dad. In fact, I’ve been waiting for this. I’m more than ready. _

“Okay, dad,” he replied, “I understand. Of course I’m still interested. I want to do my part in helping you and the rest of the Task Force catch Kira.”

“Good, good. I had a feeling that you would say that,” his dad replied. He then gave Light the address of the hotel and the room number of the room that the Task Force was currently staying at. 

“Thanks, dad. I’ll see you soon,” with that, Light hung up the phone. He looked over at Ryuk, who was laying down lazily on Light’s bed, eating an apple.

“Here’s my chance,” Light told him, an evil smirk forming on his face. “Watch me. I can finally get closer to L and find out more about this Second Kira...killing two birds with one stone. It’s perfect.”

“Hyuk, hyuk, so I’ll get some more entertainment? How delightful,” Ryuk commented, finishing up his apple. Light smirked, standing up to get ready to go.

_ I need to figure out who this imposter is before someone else on the Task Force beats me to it. And the sooner I can get rid of L, the better. _

_ /timeskip/ _

 

Light’s hand hovered over the door handle. It wasn’t that he was nervous, in fact he was feeling rather confident now that he had gotten so far. He was just preparing himself, mentally making a note to act shocked when he saw Keiko sitting down on the couch with the rest of the Task Force. Light knew that she had to be in there right now, waiting with the others for him to step inside of the hotel room. Waiting to see her boyfriend, and investigate with him. 

_ Keiko doesn’t know that I know L already is in contact with her, and has been for quite a while. Meaning she also doesn’t know that I know she’s been spying on me. So, I can’t act suspicious now, or that would ruin everything I’ve worked so hard to accomplish. However, I should be fine. I know Keiko’s falling for me, I can see it in her eyes whenever I’m with her. I can also read it on her face when she mindlessly glances over at me. I’m getting her wrapped around my finger, which is right where I want her to be. I can handle this.  _

Now feeling ready, Light took a deep breath. He opened the door and stepped inside of the hotel room. 

The first person he saw was L, who was sitting in a computer chair near the front of the room, his thumb partially in his mouth and his hair sticking out. He was staring at Light rather intently, an unreadable expression on his face. Beside L, sitting on the couches, was the rest of the Task Force. 

There was his father, who nodded at Light as soon as he saw him step inside the room, Aizawa, who had a rather determined look on his face. Next to Aizawa, he saw Mogi and Ide, who were quietly sitting with serious expressions on their faces. To the left of them was Matsuda, who smiled warmly at Light as he walked in, and to the left of Matsuda was Light’s girlfriend.

When Keiko noticed Light was staring straight at her, a confused look displayed on his face, her own face quickly turned a bright red. 

_ Heh, as I suspected, Keiko was here waiting for me. Although it’s probably a little uncomfortable right now for her, I’m sure she’s glad she will no longer have to lie to me.  _

“L-Light-kun,” she stuttered out, brushing a loose strand of hair away from her face. It looked like she wanted to say more, but the words died on her lips as soon as she noticed that L was getting up from his spot.

“Light Yagami,” L announced, walking over to where the light brown haired suspect was standing. When Light saw that L was headed towards him, he stepped forward, meeting the world’s greatest detective in the middle.

“Thank you for choosing to cooperate with us,” L continued once he was face to face with Light. He held out his hand for Light to shake.

“No problem. I want to catch Kira just as much as you do, Ryuga. And everyone else here, for that matter,” Light replied, giving L a firm handshake. He also gave him a half smile as he knew he had nothing to worry about. This was because he was certain that, if L had another test for him, he would be able to pass it.

“Please, call me Ryuzaki here,” L replied, “that’s what everyone else in the Task Force calls me as well. Makes things easier, although I suppose you still should call me Ryuga at school...which leads me to my next point, everyone here in this room has been given a fake name, along with a fake id. Now, I would like to ask you to please, while out in public, use the fake name. This way we can all protect our true identities. However, when we are all gathered together here like this, I suppose using real names should be okay.”

“Of course. I understand, Ryuzaki-san,” Light replied, looking over at the rest of the Task Force sitting around on the couches. 

L led Light over to them, gesturing for him to take a seat. Light sat down next to his father while the detective went back to his original seat.

“Perfect. Well, moving on...I suppose now would be a good time for everyone to introduce themselves,” L murmured, glancing over at the policemen. 

When no one immediately went, Matsuda leapt forward, taking out his fake id as he did so, “heh, glad to finally have you on board, Light! I’m now Taro Matsui!”

He gave an awkward chuckle, and sat back down once he realized that all eyes in the room were on him. “S-sorry, I got a little too excited,” he mumbled.

Aizawa gave an awkward little cough, and he introduced himself, “I’m Daito Aihara.”

Mogi went next. “I’m Kanichi Moji,” he said softly. 

Right next to him, Ide followed, straightening his tie,“I’m Hiro Ichi.”

Keiko glanced in Light’s general direction, but wasn’t looking directly at him. Light guessed that it was probably because she couldn’t muster the strength to look at his face. 

_ Keiko must be a little embarrassed. She was, after all, harboring a pretty big secret from me. She had to have known that L would have invited me to the Task Force at some point, but it’s clear she didn’t quite anticipate it being today. Heh, I have to admit, she’s pretty cute when she’s all flustered...but falling for her is out of the question, no matter how tempting it might be...but...no..I can’t think like this! _

Light pushed that thought aside, and gave a little cough. He had been having quite a few of these thoughts lately, much to his annoyance. No matter how similar the two were or how often he saw her, he couldn’t let himself weaken. He couldn’t have feelings for her. 

“I-I’m K-Kana K-Kinomoto,” Keiko stuttered out rather quickly, her face turning a bright pink. Light noticed, yet again, that it looked like she wanted to say something more, but his father cut her off before she even had the chance.

“And I’m Yonjuro Asahi,” he told his son.

“I see, so I suppose I should start calling myself Light Asahi, then,” he replied, glancing back over at the detective, who appeared to be in deep thought. He was looking at something else, documents from the investigation, Light assumed. 

“Yes, please do so,” L responded, finally looking back up, away from the papers he had sitting out in front of him.

Light continued on, looking over in his girlfriend’s direction, “now, Ryuzaki-san, I would ask what Keiko-chan is doing here, but I think I already have a pretty good idea. While I know that she already had some interest in the Kira case, that can’t be the only reason why she’s here. Ryuzaki-san, last time we talked, you bluntly told me that you suspect me to be Kira. Although you said you think there’s only a slim chance, you probably wanted to do some more digging on the side, just in case. I can only assume that you asked my girlfriend to spy on me, and given her own personal interest in the investigation, as well as her romantic interest in me, she agreed to it.”

“Yes, that is correct,” L replied, a lazy smirk on his face. Light watched as L glanced in Keiko’s direction, an unreadable expression now entering his face, “I had your girlfriend spying on you for me. One can’t be too careful when Kira is on the loose. Don’t worry, according to her, you’re not that suspicious.”

“And please don’t be mad at her for it,” Matsuda added, his face flushing a little as he looked in Keiko’s direction.

_ Heh, it’s just as I suspected. I’ve been managing to fool her quite well. Though, now that L’s finally brought me on board, I have to be extra cautious with my behavior. While I can pretty easily fool my girlfriend, because of her feelings for me, L is another story entirely...nothing will get past him, I’m sure of it.  _

Light gave a small chuckle, looking over in Keiko’s direction, “I’m not worried, because I’m not Kira. And Keiko-chan...I suppose this means at the hospital you and my father pretended to not know each other...don’t worry. I’m not in any upset or mad at you, if that’s what you’re nervous about, I would have done the same thing if I were in your position. I’m just happy that now I can work besides you, the world’s greatest detective, my father, and, of course, the rest of the Task Force.”

Light could see the relief washing over Keiko’s face, and for the first time since he had stepped into the room, she properly looked at him. He flashed a grin at her, which made her give a shy smile in return, and he ignored the pang he felt in his stomach afterwards.

“Not so fast, Light-kun...I hope you don’t mind me calling you that here, I can’t call you Yagami-san, that’s your father,” L interjected, not even bothering to hide the fact that he was staring intently at the light brown haired boy.

“Whatever you want to call me is fine,” Light replied, watching as L got up out of his chair. He was headed towards him. Light knew that, whatever Ryuzaki’s plan was, it couldn’t be good. He braced himself.

_ Act natural, Light Yagami. Whatever’s about to happen, you can’t let him evoke a strong reaction out of you. Stay calm, act natural. _

Once L was in front of Light, he stopped. He leaned in real close, so close that his face was only inches apart from Light’s own, and there was a glint in his eyes. 

L smirked, “really? I can call you whatever I want to? Well...what about Kira, then?”

Light heard his father give a slight gasp beside him. 

_ That bastard! I can’t believe he’d go that far as to say something like that in front of everyone here. _

L’s dark eyes had remained on Light as he spoke, and Light just stared straight back at him. He was extra careful not to show any emotions on his face...although what he wanted to do was sneer and punch L square in jaw. 

After a few seconds, L gave another smirk, and started to laugh a little, “relax, Light-kun. I’m only kidding, of course.”

“I knew that, Ryuzaki-san, but still. A joke like that isn’t funny,” Light replied. He matched L’s amused look with a serious one, “especially because it’s not true.”

“If you’re innocent, then you will just have to prove that to me. Which leads me to my point...as I was going to say earlier, not so fast Light-kun. There’s something I’d like you to do for me before you can join us. I would like you to start by looking over all of our current information on Kira, including these videos,” L held up two tapes in his hand, “they were sent to the police station, but never released to the public. For security reasons, you are not permitted to take notes. All materials must remain in this room. Afterwards, I would like to hear the conclusions, if any, that you’ve come up with. Are you willing to start right now? If so, I can have Watari set you up.”

_ Ah, as I suspected. Another test...this has to be information dealing with the Second Kira...heh, well L, this was just what I was hoping for. Bring it on! _

“I understand. Yes, I’m more than willing, Ryuzaki-san. I want to prove to you that I am ready and capable to be a member of this investigation,” Light glanced over at the detective, a determined look on his face.

“Wonderful. Watari-san, please, set everything up for him.”

It took only a couple minutes, and soon Light was sitting in the same computer chair that L was sitting at only a few minutes prior. He had first looked through the documents that L had left out on the desk, they had contained the information about the second Kira’s victims. The T.V. show hosts, to be exact. It made Light a little sick that this Second Kira was ignoring his main ideals in order to get his attention. 

_ Unless they try to deliberately get in my way, which is most unfortunate for them, innocent lives should always be spared.  _

“Alright, I’m ready for the videos now.”

Watari stepped forward, and pressed play for Light on the video recording. Light watched the first few minutes of the video, scrutinizing it as best as he could, for any clues at all about who this Second Kira was. 

“Now that you have seen proof of my powers, you should have no trouble believing that I am Kira. People of the world, please listen to me, the last thing I want to do is kill the innocent,” the distorted voice on the tape announced. 

_ Geez...This video is so mediocre...it’s making me sick to my stomach. I don’t know, maybe it’s because I’m the real Kira, but this is just a complete disgrace to everything Kira stands for. Whoever this person is...they can’t be that smart...if I don’t find this person soon, things will end badly… _

He watched on, finishing the rest of the video tapes that Watari played for him. As soon as he was done, he stood up from the chair, and faced the rest of the Task Force.

“So, Light-kun, I know you are quite intelligent. What do you make of this? Have you come to any conclusions?” L asked him.

_ What is he mocking me? Trying to get a good reaction out of me? Well nice try, L. You won’t catch me off guard. Besides, there’s only one conclusion that one could draw from watching these video tapes: that there is possibility a copycat Kira out there. It would look more suspicious if I didn’t acknowledge that fact.  _

Light took a deep breath, “well, I can’t say for sure but it appears that their might be another person out there with Kira’s power...”

Keiko’s eyebrows furrowed, and she looked over at Light curiously, “wait...with Kira’s power? Light-kun, what do you mean by that?”

_ Damn it...perhaps I should have watched my wording better...but I can still play it off. So it should be okay.  _

“At the very least, I’d say this tape was not created by the Kira we are familiar with. It is extremely out of character for him to use these kinds of victims for his killings. And...since we have established before that Kira needs both a name and a face to kill, it makes you wonder how he was able to kill that detective and those two officers right outside the television station like that.”

“Ah, I see, well Ryuzaki-san and I both came to that conclusion as well,” Keiko replied thoughtly, and she flashed a smile at him. Light smiled back at her, glad that he was able to make her forget about her question. 

Light watched as L glanced over at Keiko, a sly look on his face, “yes. Like what Keiko-chan said, we also believe that it was the work of a second Kira.”

“So, Ryuzaki-san,” Light started, looking over at the detective, crossing his arms out in front of him, “you were testing me with the video tapes, right? Did I pass? Am I able to help you guys out with the investigation now?”

“Yes, yes, I suppose that you did,” L replied, “and the fact that the three of us all came to that conclusion...well it makes the conclusion that much more believable, Light-kun. As expected, you were of great assistance to us, so thank you for that. Of course you can help us out with the investigation now.”

Light smirked, “good. I hope that I can continue to be of assistance. So when do I officially start?”

“Well, you can officially start now. First, we must focus on stopping this copycat Kira. From what we’ve seen, he sympathizes with the real Kira, but he doesn’t appear to be very bright. I think he would be willing to obey the original Kira. If so, we could lure him into a trap by sending our own message from the real Kira. I was thinking, since you said you want to help us out further, Light-kun, would you like to play the part of the real Kira?”

“M-me?” Light stuttered out, “you want me to play the part of Kira?”

_ Damn him! Of all things, I wasn’t expecting this! He probably had this in mind all along, I can’t keep letting him catch me off guard...that test he gave me before wasn’t the real test, the real test is this...and I can’t refuse him now, I have to do what he says if I don’t want to arouse suspicion. _

“Yes,” L responded, a faint smile on his lips, “with your genius, you should be able to do it. At any rate, we don’t have time to waste...do you think you could script a message from Kira to air on tonight’s news?”

There was only one thing Light could say. “If you say so, Ryuzaki-san. Just leave it to me.”

 

_ /timeskip/ _

 

Keiko’s POV:

“Ryuzaki-san, is this all right? I think I managed to make it pretty believable,” Keiko heard Light ask. She lifted her head up off of the desk, watching as Light brought the paper over from where he was sitting to where L was currently sitting. 

_ Finally...I hope L’s okay with Light’s draft, that way he will have some freetime...I want to talk to Light alone in private, I’ve been wanting to ever since he stepped into the room, but...L’s only been throwing Light more tasks. _

Almost all of the embarrassment Keiko had earlier had faded, which she was happy about. It was hard facing her boyfriend at first. However, even though Light had told her it was okay, she still felt like she owed him some sort of explanation. Especially with how she had jumped on him earlier.  

_ I’ve gotten so wrapped up in this investigation...he was only answering L’s question, nothing more. I know there’s no way Light could really be Kira, or at least, I don’t think so...I feel like if he was Kira, he would have slipped up by now...or I would have probably noticed something more suspicious. _

Keiko watched as L read over the document Light handed him, “hmmm...honestly? I think you’ve done an excellent job of this. However, if you don’t omit the part that says ‘you’re free to kill L’, then I’m going to end up dead.”

This caused Light to laugh a little, and he scratched the side of his head, “uh, sorry...I guess while pretending to be Kira I got a little carried away. I thought he would demand that you would be killed...I was only improvising, feel free to change that to whatever you would like, Ryuzaki-san.”

“Alright, that sounds good,” L replied, and he waved Light away so that he could continue to work.

Keiko took this as her chance to approach her boyfriend, who was now standing near one of the windows in the hotel room. She lightly tapped his back, “Light-kun, if you’ve got a moment, I was wondering if you wanted to talk in private.”

Light turned around, giving Keiko a friendly smile, “I always have time for my girlfriend. However, I feel like it might be up to L, though. I know he wants the news to air the clip soon…”

“You two go ahead. I figured that Keiko-chan wanted to talk to you alone in private,” L called, waving his hand behind him, “for now, I am revising the note you just gave me. When the time comes for it to air on the news, I will tell Watari-san to come and get you two.”

_ Geez, how much can his ears pick up? We weren’t even being that loud. _

“Thanks, Ryuzaki-san,” Light replied, taking Keiko’s hand. The two of them left the hotel room, and headed upstairs, towards the balcony of the hotel. 

“Will they even be able to find us up here?” Keiko asked as they climbed up the stairs.

“Oh, I’m sure Ryuzaki-san has his ways,” Light chuckled as the two of them reached the top of the stairs. He opened the door to the balcony, the fresh, evening air now hitting their noses. 

The sky was turning brilliant shades of pink and purple. It had been a while since Keiko had properly been able to appreciate the beautiful scenery around her. She had been too focused on attempting to keep up with her schoolwork and the Kira investigation.

“It’s gorgeous,” Keiko muttered, staring up at the sky and soaking it all in.

“Not as gorgeous as you,” Light replied, causing Keiko lightly punch his side as she rolled her eyes at him. 

“Light Yagami, why, I already agreed to being your girlfriend a couple months ago...there’s no need to try and flatter me now.”

Light chuckled, “I suppose you’re right, but surely even you would like to have a compliment every now and then...anyway, why did you want to talk to me alone?”

Keiko turned so that she was face to face with Light, and suddenly bowed her head. She started spilling out all of emotions that she had kept deeply hidden within her the last two months. Emotions that she had held in for far too long. 

“I’m sorry, Light-kun! I-I wanted to properly apologize for lying to you for all this time...the truth is, L got me on board a couple days before you officially asked me out...I know you said that you understand, and that you would have done the same in my position b-but...being L’s spy for that time, having to live a lie, that honestly sucked. I wanted to tell you, but I also couldn’t, for obvious reasons. I know you’re my boyfriend, and I shouldn’t have suspected you in the first place b-but...the chance, however slim, was still there,” she took a short breath before continuing on, “and the suspicion is still there, according to L...honestly, in my eyes, the chances of you being Kira, while they haven’t entirely gone away, are just getting slimmer and slimmer. B-because if you w-were, you probably would have revealed yourself by now, but back then, I didn’t know and I-I just couldn’t ignore it! I-I just had to properly explain to you what my reasoning was and-”

Keiko immediately stopped as soon as she felt Light’s hand brush up against her chin, bringing her head up so that she was once again level with him. 

“Breathe, Kagami-san, it’s okay. You shouldn’t feel the need to apologize to me. You went through a hard time, not being able to tell me the truth. It wasn’t easy hearing the truth today, trust me, but that is now all in the past. What matters is the present and currently I’m here now with you. Together, with the help of L and the rest of the Task Force, we can catch Kira, and the Second Kira.”

Before Keiko could even react to what Light said, he snaked his free hand across her back, lightly pressing her so that they would be closer together. He then gently kissed her. She was shocked at first, but then she kissed him back with even more intensity, one of her hands resting on his chest and the other finding its way towards his hair.

 

Light’s POV:

_ Heh. Well, I think I’ve finally done it. Even though L invited her to join so that he could frame me somehow, she’s actually prevented him from doing so. All according to plan. And her confession just now has to mean I have her fully wrapped around my finger. Good, good. You know what else is good? How she smells...like vanilla, with a faint hint of coffee beans...no, no! There’s no way I could be...falling for her? No, no. That’s not possible, I’ve been so careful. But, however, she is my type... _

When Light suddenly felt Keiko’s hand roaming through his hair, his first instinct was to deepen the kiss, letting the two of them getting even more tangled up together. His mind was screaming at him that he should stop, and yet, he was finding that he didn’t want to. 

_ Light stop! Whether she’s your type or not, you’re treading in dangerous waters if you develop any feelings for her. Stop kissing her for so long, the longer you kiss her, the weaker you’ll get! Gods aren’t weak; gods have no weaknesses that can make them weak. Don’t let her become your weakness. She’s only your toy, after all... _

“Ah-hem. I’m sorry to interrupt such a tender moment of young love but Ryuzaki-san would like me to inform you that it’s time,” a voice said from behind them.

Watari.

Startled, Keiko broke apart from Light, her face turning a deep crimson. Although he didn’t jump like Keiko had, Light had to admit that he had been startled as well. He turned his attention away from Keiko and onto the older gentleman standing in front of them. 

For once, he was grateful that the two of them had been interrupted. This way, he was no longer entranced by Keiko’s charms. He was free for now. He made a mental note to be more careful around her, especially considering the hypnotizing effect she had on him just recently. 

_ It has to be because I’ve been spending so much time with her lately...she’s really getting to me...however, there’s no way I can break up with her now. I have to squash whatever feelings I might hold for her immediately. I can't be this careless around her.  _

“Of course. It’s time to go back to work,” Light replied, “please, lead the way, Watari-san.”


	15. Chapter Fifteen: Message

 

 

Light’s POV:

“Ryuzaki-san,” Watari announced as he stepped into the hotel room the following day, “we have another message from the Second Kira.”

“W-what? Another response? Already?” Keiko questioned, looking over at the rest of the Task Force, “wow...that was fast…” 

She and Light had recently arrived at Task Force headquarters. The two of them had walked straight over to the hotel room together after their university classes for the day came to a close. 

Light smirked at Watari’s words. Although he wouldn’t admit it, he was a little uneasy at what the Second Kira had in store for him, considering how reckless he obviously was. However, whatever it was, he had to face the new challenge head on. 

After finally becoming a member of the Task Force, and realizing that he officially had his girlfriend wrapped around his finger, finding out L’s true name and finding a way to deal with the Second Kira were now the only real tasks that he had left to work on. 

Well that and making sure he was more careful around Keiko Kagami. He had to make sure he didn’t fall for his girlfriend’s charms. He had to remain immune, no matter how soft her lips were or how good she smelled. She’d only make him weak. She’d make him human.

Light Yagami couldn’t afford to be weak or be human; one small mistake could cost him everything. He had been working hard to fight off any possible feelings for her, or thoughts of her that ran across his mind late at night when he was attempting to fall asleep. Much to his dismay, the these happenings were becoming more and more frequent. He vowed to get that under better control.

He focused his attention back on Watari. The elder gentleman was now standing off to the side of the couches, a serious expression on his face.

“Sakura T.V. received a package from the Second Kira just earlier today. They are waiting for you to give them the order to start broadcasting it,” Watari informed L. 

_ A reply so soon, eh? I don’t know if this is bad news or good news yet...I guess I’ll find out soon, but considering how careless this Second Kira’s actions have been, I am leaning more towards bad news.  _

“I see...well then, there’s no time to waste. Watari-san, please tell them to play the recording as soon as possible. Oh, and make sure to get all the copies of the tape afterwards,” L replied, lazily taking the lollipop he had been sucking on out of his mouth.

Watari bowed his head, and started to make the phone call to Sakura T.V., meanwhile, the rest of the Task Force traded theories on what the Second Kira might have said in his latest video recording.

“I bet he’s going to comply with what the original Kira wanted,” Aizawa was saying, “otherwise, I’m sure the original Kira would have him killed somehow for crossing him.”

“Maybe so,” Matsuda responded, “but so far it appears that this Second Kira has ignored Kira’s original message...why would he start listening to him now?”

_ Heh...it would be ideal to get this Second Kira to comply with what I want, especially because it appears that he has the shinigami eyes...but...will he actually be of help to me? Hopefully this Second Kira will still insist on finding out L’s true identity by demanding that he appear on T.V., even though L unfortunately took out the part of my message that demands that he be killed...well...I won’t have to wait too much longer to find out...  _

“All of you, please be quiet. You’re distracting me,” L said, turning around in his chair, a new lollipop in his mouth, “and Sakura T.V. will be airing the tapes in just a moment.”

A hush fell over the hotel room after L’s words. The corner of the detective’s lips curved slightly upwards at the sudden silence in the room. 

“Great. Thank you,” he muttered, turning on the room’s television. 

Sure enough, not even a minute later, Sakura’s anchorman popped up on the screen, interrupting a commercial that had been previously playing, “this is Hayata Ito coming to you live from Sakura T.V. and let me just say...what you are about to see is exclusive! We broadcasted an official message from Kira to the Second Kira just last night, and now the Second Kira has given their response...I’m sure you’re all curious, so let’s all gather around and listen to what he has to say…”

The screen flashed, revealing yet another mediocre, poor quality tape. Yet again, the word K.I.R.A. was spelled in the background.

“Kira, I thank you for your quick reply. Please do not worry; I will follow your previous orders and do exactly as you say.”

“Wow! So it really worked,” Matsuda commented, his dark brown eyes lighting up, “that’s amazing! I can’t believe it!”

“I honestly can’t believe it either,” Ide added. 

_ I will do as you say, huh?...ugh, dammit! It looks like this guy will be of no help to me! Like I was thinking beforehand, if this copycat had any idea what my wishes were, he would insist that L appear on T.V. and then kill him anyway! How stupid do you have to be to fall for something like that?! Damn it!  _

Meanwhile, the broadcast continued on, “I really want to meet you...I don’t think you have the eyes but you don’t have to worry, I would never try to kill you. That’s a promise.”

Light attempted to hide a small gasp, _ wait! What the hell is this guy thinking?! The situation only gets worse each and every time this guy opens his mouth! Talking about shinigami eyes in a public message like this, is he crazy?!  _

“Having...the...eyes…?” Light heard Keiko mutter beside him, “what’s that supposed to mean? Is that some sort of secret code that only the two Kiras would be able to understand? ...or is there something more sinister behind it?”

The video tape continued on, “please tell me how I can meet you without the police finding out...you’re smart, I know you’ll think of something. And when we meet, we can confirm our identities by showing our shinigami to each other!”

“S-shinigami?!” a couple members of the Task Force stuttered out and Light watched as Keiko’s face paled and her eyes got huge. Her eyes looked like they were about to pop out of their sockets. 

_ Damn it! Unfortunately, it’s just as I thought! There’s really no mistaking it anymore...this so called Second Kira is a liability! Now I really have to find out who this guy is...because if I don’t do something about him soon then things will only escalate more and then- _

Light’s thoughts, and the sounds of the recording were interrupted by the great detective, who gave a terrifyingly big gasp. He threw his arms up in the air, screaming as he did so. His chair was slowly tipping over. 

Both Matsuda and Aizawa ran towards L, concern written on their faces. 

“Ryuzaki-san!” Aizawa was now leaning towards the ground, “are you okay?”

“S-shinigami?” L stuttered out, as he crumpled into a heap on the floor after falling out of his chair, which had finally toppled over as well, a few seconds after he did. He was lying right next to his strawberry flavored lollipop, which had flown out of his mouth as soon as he first opened it a moment ago to scream. His eyes were wide with shock, “a-am I really supposed to believe that those creatures actually exist?”

“N-no. T-that’s impossible, Ryuzaki-san,” Keiko weakly stammered, she still looked just as shocked as he was, “t-think about it...t-there’s no way shinigami exist...there’s no proof, it’d be like believing in Santa Clause or the Tooth Fairy.”

“She’s right,” Light practically hissed, glancing over first at his girlfriend, then the detective, “listen to yourself, Ryuzaki-san! Of course shinigami don’t actually exist, there’s no proof! So stop acting crazy!”

The raven haired detective slowly turned his head, looking first at the rest of the Task Force, then at Light’s girlfriend before shifting and turning towards Light himself, “you’re probably right...but I also remember that Kira had those prisoners write something suggesting the existence of gods of death...shinigami.”

“So, based on that fact,” the Chief interrupted, “we’re dealing with the same person after all? The same Kira pretending to be two different Kiras? Is that what you’re trying to say, Ryuzaki-san? hmm...well that would definitely explain why we’re hearing the same words at least...”

“While it’s a nice theory and all, that couldn’t be, dad,” Light said, “or at least, I don’t think it could be. Just think about it this way...if this Second Kira was indeed the same person as the first Kira, why would he go through all of this trouble in replying to our video in the first place? And why would he agree to let L live after going through all that trouble in trying to get him to appear on T.V.? The real Kira wants him dead...so it doesn’t make any sense.”

“Well, maybe there’s some other connection between the real Kira and this new copycat Kira. We just don’t know...they could have already met and decided that they would use the word ‘shinigami’ in this video to try and purposely throw off our investigation,” Aizawa responded, an uncertain look on his face as he glanced over at the detective.

L stood up after a moment, his initial shock had wore off and he was back to his cool and composed self. He flipped his chair so it was back upright and sat down in it once more, facing the Task Force. 

“I’d say that’s highly unlikely. It’s as Light says, if the two Kiras were connected, I don’t think the copycat would be so willing to give up on his original plan of killing me. All of this suggests to me that the Second Kira has his own agenda, and is acting independent of the original Kira...and his agenda has to be making sure that he meets the original Kira. That’s what makes the most sense to me.”

“I agree,” Keiko added, looking over at the rest of the Task Force, “it is clear to me that this Second Kira is acting out of interest in the original.”

Light nodded his head as well, crossing his arms over his chest. “yes. That has to be it. And the word ‘shinigami’ could very well be some reference to their killing power...saying ‘we can confirm our identities by showing our shinigami to each other’ probably means that ‘we can confirm our identities by showing each other our killing power’. Or, in other words, they would be demonstrating their ability to kill for each other. Now, if only we knew what that method of killing people was...”

He could hear Ryuk laughing behind him, “hyuk, hyuk. Well look at you, Light...trying to act all slick when you know full well how Kira kills. But will this L figure it out? My, my, this is so interesting.”

Light ignored the goth looking shinigami hovering behind him, focusing solely on Ryuzaki’s reaction. 

“Yes, yes,” the great detective started to say, “I think you’re absolutely right. Based on their messages, we can assume the word ‘shinigami’ must hold some meaning between the first and second Kira. Now we just need to convince this copycat to tell us what that is.”

“So, are you going to have me respond to him again, and be more forceful? If so, we have to be careful how we handle that. We can’t make it too obvious that we are asking him...otherwise he will realize that we are not actually Kira,” Light replied, running a hand through his hair. He wanted to get in contact with the Second Kira again as soon as possible. 

“No...actually, from now on, it’s best that we leave it up to the two Kiras,” L started, earning him gasps from all the people in the room, Light included. 

L continued on, ignoring their shocked responses, “I mean, I imagine that the Second Kira is probably quite satisfied with the current situation. He sent his first message to get Kira’s attention, and as far as he knows, he’s got it. The word ‘shinigami’ is proof of that. Naturally, now that this video has aired, it will be of interest to the original Kira. He knows that there is an imposter of him. Now, if I were Kira myself, my priority would be to prevent this imposter from coming into contact with the Second Kira. This means that the original Kira must now be under some pressure. This is good for us; the real Kira has to actually respond this time.”

“And what if the real Kira doesn’t?” Aizawa questioned.

“Yes,” L said, tapping on his knee with his pointer finger, “I thought of what we could do with the Second Kira in that case but...if the Second Kira reveals more information that the original Kira doesn’t want the police to know, he will make the original Kira more nervous, and angry, for that matter. So that means that, ultimately, the original Kira will end up feeling pretty pressured...hm...now that I think about it, it would be even more interesting if the original Kira sent a message of his own in order to avoid an information slip from happening. If this occurred, then there would probably be a good chance that we could obtain some physical evidence from Kira himself or one of his loyal followers that could lead us to him. That would actually be ideal. I guess we’ll just have to see what happens. In the meantime, let’s gather all the information we can from the Second Kira’s package.”

Light kept his face blank in order not to draw any attention to him, but on the inside, he was silently fuming.

_ Damn it, I need to somehow get in contact with the Second Kira in secret, to get them to keep quiet and shut up...but how? There’s no way I can make a move right now. That would be way too risky. L’s cornered me! At this rate, the Second Kira will only end up releasing more information...right now, I’m like a sitting duck!  _

 

Misa’s POV:

“Ahh, I’m so worn out,” Misa cried out to Rem as she laid back on her bed, “that shoot felt like it was going to last forever. Modeling sure does take a lot of energy.”

When the shinigami didn’t respond right away, Misa straightened herself out, so that she was properly sitting on her bed, “hey, Rem. I just had a thought, can I ask you something?”

“Go ahead, Misa. What is it?” Rem answered, giving the girl a nod, “you sure have been asking me a lot of questions lately.”

“Oh, have I been? Heheh, I just can’t help how curious I get sometimes...well, anyway, you mentioned before that all shinigami must own a death note of their own. So, in order for a shinigami to give their notebook to a human, they need to have an extra notebook. Ryuk could give a death note to Kira because he somehow found out a way to sneak an extra one past the shinigami king, right?”

“Yes, that is correct,” Rem replied.

“So, then, how about you?” Misa asked, placing her hands on her knees and giving Rem her full attention. 

“No. The Shinigami King isn’t easily fooled. It doesn’t happen often.”

“Oh?” Misa cocked her head to the side, “then how did I get my notebook, then?”

Rem sighed, “let’s just say that it has a lot to do with the fact that I’m one of the only ones within the shinigami realm that knows how to kill another one of my kind. That’s how I ended up with two notebooks…”

“Oooh,” Misa twirled the ends of her hair, “I think I get it...you killed a shinigami for me and then you gave his notebook to me...is that right?”

Rem shook her head, giving the girl a strange look. “No. It’s not like that. I wasn’t the one who killed him. I just happened to be hanging around him when he died, that’s all. It was a coincidence really.”

Misa felt around under her bed, grabbing the death note that Rem had given to her fairly recently. She set it on her lap, and focused her attention on the shinigami once again, “so tell me how it happened. I want to know how how one kills a shinigami; I have to know...well?”

“Well...alright, but never repeat this to anyone, okay? I learned that...the only way to kill a shinigami is to...make them fall in love with a human.”

There was a faraway look on Misa’s face and a glint in her eyes when she listened to Rem as she told her the story of Gelus, and about how he had sacrificed his own life for her own, “...what a beautiful way to kill…”

 

Keiko’s POV:

“L-Light-kun,” Keiko started, brushing some hair away from her face. She then focused her attention on her boyfriend, who had been basically ignoring all of her attempts at a proper conversation for the past five minutes, “are you alright? You seem very...distracted.”

Light, who had been staring off into the distance, jerked his head around to face her. “Huh? Oh, I’m sorry, Keiko-chan…” he lightly placed his hand on hers, giving it a little squeeze, “I-I was spacing out...there’s just a lot on my mind, I guess.”

“You aren’t thinking about the Kira case again, are you? Wasn’t the whole purpose of our date today to try and forget about the investigation for a little while?” Keiko pointed out, pouting a little. 

“You’re right, I was thinking about the Kira investigation again...I’m sorry. There’s just so much going on right now, it’s hard for me to take a break, but I’ll try for you,” Light gave her a small smile, and then looked around at the cherry blossom trees surrounding the two of them. 

Soon there was a faraway look on his face, “Hmm...remember when I took you here for the first time a few months ago?”

“Of course,” Keiko replied, lightly shoving her boyfriend a little, “how could I forget? That was when you officially asked me out..”

Light chuckled, “the trees were in full boom then…”

“I mean, that generally happens in the spring,” Keiko gave a small laugh, “things bloom.”

“Well, of course...but I was just thinking. You see, I feel that it’s a little unfair that the cherry blossoms are never in full bloom for long. They spend all that time preparing, but when they finally turn into something great, it’s soon taken away from them...it’s quite a shame, especially because people care the most about them when they’re in full bloom.”

_ He’s not hinting at something, is he?  _

“I see, heh. Well, I  hope that’s not a hidden metaphor for something,” Keiko remarked, biting her lip in thought. She looked over at her boyfriend, studying him carefully for anything suspicious. Light’s attention was still on the trees surrounding them, he had an almost peaceful expression on his face.

_ If I was wrong with my investigation observations and he actually is Kira...then perhaps he could be referring to the fact that Kira’s only been killing for a few months...and the fact that soon after rising to fame there are those trying to capture him, trying to make Kira’s short reign these past few months come to a just end. Not to mention the way the Second Kira is acting...it looks like the real Kira could end up slipping up soon because of the Second Kira’s carelessness...but is Light actually Kira? _

Light looked over at her, laughing a little bit, “nah. It’s just an observation. Don’t think too much about it, Keiko-chan. You need to take a break as well.”

Keiko let a sigh escape her lips.

_ Oh thank goodness...I need to stop being on guard so much...I can’t take every little thing to mean more than it actually does. That will only cause more problems for me in the future. Besides, I should really be taking my own advice and use this time to relax right now... _

She gently laid her head on her boyfriend’s shoulder, “it’s so peaceful here. What a nice escape from the real world.”

Light moved so that his arm was wrapped around her, and allowed Keiko to reposition herself. They sat there together, soaking up the nature around them in a tranquil silence, which was broken a few minutes later when Light’s cell phone started ringing.

He sighed deeply, detaching his arm from Keiko’s body and reaching into his pockets. 

“Huh? It’s my father,” Light announced, “looks like our break is over. This must mean that there’s been a new development with the Kira case.”

Keiko watched Light’s face as he answered his father’s phone call. His eyebrows furrowed, and he looked like he was in deep thought. “I understand,” he said, “we will be down there soon.”

When Light hung up, he looked over and Keiko and declared, “another message was sent from the Second Kira to Sakura T.V….”


	16. Chapter Sixteen: Hideout

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any comments are welcome!

 

 

Light’s POV:

“Did the Second Kira want the journal to be shown on T.V.?” Light wondered out loud, his question was aimed at no one in particular. It was honestly more for show than anything else, as he wanted to appear normal to the other members of the Task Force.

He and Keiko were sitting together, side by side on the couch, having just recently arrived from their interrupted date at the nature park. It was just the two of them, his father, L, and Matsuda investigating at headquarters currently. 

Light’s father nodded. “Yes, it would appear so,” he handed the journal over to Light, allowing him to carefully look it over. 

As Light inspected it, so did his girlfriend, who had scooched closer to Light in order to get a better look. Light positioned the paper so that the two of them could easily look it over together and tried to ignore the warmth emitting from Keiko’s body as her legs lightly brushed up against his.

_ Keep focused, Light...just focus all of your attention on the journal. Start by looking at the date at the very top… which is 2006...so last year’s diary. How is this even relevant? Wait…wait a second...this has to be some sort of message or something...right? That’s the only thing that makes sense.  _

“Please take a look at the entry he made on the thirtieth,” L commented, “I think you’ll find what it says to be rather interesting.”

“Huh? Confirm our shinigami at the Tokyo Dome,” Keiko murmured, reading the entry outloud, “what the? Is he crazy? He’s making it obvious that he wants to meet Kira on the thirtieth...or so it would seem...it’s way too...straightforward.”

_ Hmm...interesting. So this probably means that the Second Kira wants to do this on May 30th. If this were aired on T.V., his intentions would be obvious to anyone watching the broadcast...however, he can’t see my shinigami unless he touches my Death Note. How exactly does he plan on doing that? This Kira doesn’t seem to be that bright.  _

Ryuk suddenly started chuckling behind him, causing Light to lose his focus for a moment. When he refocused, another entry on the page caught his attention, and Light had to be careful not to give a small gasp. 

_ Huh? May 22nd...my friend and I showed off our notebooks in Aoyama...if by notebooks he is referring to our death notes, then that’s something that can only be understood by Kira. By me. And as for the police, they would be too distracted by the May 30th entry talking about shinigami...I’m pretty sure the only message that I need to focus on is the one written on the 22nd, the other one has to be a decoy of sorts..and if that’s the case then- _

His thoughts were interrupted by L, who was peering intently over his shoulder, “so, Light-kun, what do you think?” 

Even though L was standing behind him, Light could sense his secretive, sly smirk. He clearly wanted to corner Light, and make him say something that would reveal himself as being the original Kira.

_ I have to be careful not to say too much...this feels like he’s testing me again, and if I say what is really on my mind, I could end up being even more suspicious to L...so it would be better to wait to hear his opinion first. That’s the safest option in this position, I can’t have L back me into a corner again.  _

“Well, at this point in time...I can only say that this Second Kira must be a real idiot,” Light responded emotionlessly, “he’s being way too obvious about his intentions, it is clear that he’s way too careless.”

“Yeah, I agree,” Matsuda chimed in, “it’s quite obvious that he wants to meet Kira at the home game in the Tokyo Dome.”

“Doesn’t he understand that, if this message is aired on Sakura T.V., the panic that it would cause? In fact, it could even lead to the home game being cancelled,” Light’s father added, “and in general, even worse...it would absolutely lead to chaos. I don’t even want to think about what might happen in that case.”

“To be honest,” L started, in between bites of a cake that Watari had just handed over to him, “I was thinking the same thing. It’s so stupid, I don’t even know how to deal with it. If we make the diary public then we will probably more than most likely be indirectly cancelling the game on the thirtieth...but if we don’t broadcast it, the Second Kira won’t make a move.”

“Wouldn’t the game being cancelled anger him?” Matsuda questioned, running a hand through his already mused hair. “He wants to meet Kira there, and if he loses his chance...there’s no telling what he’d do.”

“Honestly? That’s not a huge concern of mine,” L stated simply, “from what we’ve witnessed, it seems that that Second Kira admires the real one. He promised the fake Kira we created that he would stop killing innocent people. I say we make first make the diary public and we then make an announcement and cancel the game afterwards. At the same time, we will announce that on May 30th, we are going to set up check points on all roads leading to and from the Tokyo Dome. Furthermore, we will respond with our own Kira that he understands and that he will agree to meeting him there. That would probably be our best bet regarding that entry...”

“It would appear that you really thought this plan through, Ryuzaki-san...but you don’t think that the real Kira will actually show up, do you?” Matsuda questioned and Light watched as he curiously glanced over at the detective, who was now working on a second piece of his strawberry cake.

“I don’t think that the real Kira would even consider it,” was L’s response as he chewed, “but it’s possible the other one, the Second Kira, might. You see, it really all depends on how stupid he actually is. However, assuming he isn’t the idiot we think he is, there could be another message hidden in this diary...one that’s not so obvious. If there’s a message here written in some code that only people with this so called shinigami power can understand, there’d be no way for us to decipher it...”

“Then the only way for us to proceed, logically, is to thoroughly check out all of the places mentioned on the page,” Keiko concluded with a rather soft sigh, “...it appears it’s the only thing we can do at this point.”

“Yes, you read my mind, Kagami-san,” L gave her a smirk, “I was thinking the same thing, putting up more surveillance cameras in the places mentioned, and perhaps even stationing undercover officers to keep an eye out..however, we have to be prepared in the case all of our efforts are futile.”

_ It’s as I thought...if this phony Kira slips up and gets apprehended, at the very least, I have to obtain his notebook somehow… _

“In that case, I think I should go to Aoyama and Shibuya to check things out,” Matsuda gave a slight grin, “I’m sure that I’d fit right in there.”

“We’ll go as well,” Light quickly added, wrapping an arm around his girlfriend, who nodded in agreement, “I think that we’d be the most natural with Matsuda-san there, it’ll just look like a fun outing with some friends. We won’t look suspicious. And the more people there, the greater the possibility we might find something having to do with the Second Kira...or maybe even find the Second Kira himself…”

 

_ /timeskip/ _

 

Keiko’s POV:

After such a puzzling meeting that had her ruined date with her boyfriend, Keiko was more than happy to finally be home again. With the Kira investigation and her school work, along with her social life, getting to sleep at a reasonable hour was a luxury that she often did not have. Her comfortable bed was calling her. She quickly headed up the stairs, taking them two at a time, towards her bedroom. 

However, as soon as Keiko made it all the way up the stairs, her phone started incessantly buzzing in her pocket. She reluctantly fished it out with her remaining energy, and checked the caller ID on the screen. She gave a weary sigh.

_ It’s L. He better not be calling and asking me to go back to headquarters for something, although I wouldn’t put it past him to do something like that...however, I am exhausted and I literally just got to my bedroom door... _

“Yes? What is it, Ryuzaki-san?” Keiko attempted to keep her tone of voice professional, but she was feeling pretty tired, and ended up sounding a little grouchy. All she wanted to do was collapse onto her soft bed and sleep. 

“I have a request for you, Kagami-san...a few days from now, while you are in Aoyama and Shibuya, I would like it if you kept an eye on your boyfriend once more. This must be kept a secret, of course. I should also tell you that I have instructed Matsuda-san to do the same. If Light is acting suspicious in any way, one of you will certainly catch on...well, I’m assuming out of the two of you that it would probably be you, but I digress. Anyway, do you think you can do this favor for me?”

_ And here I thought that my days spying on Light were over...it looks like L will never stop suspecting my boyfriend. I don’t like the idea of having to keep an eye on Light again...it feels wrong to me to do so, and I’m no longer that suspicious of him...it’s been two months with no real, hard evidence, so to me it’s not as likely, but what can I do? There’s no way I can say no to his request.  _

“Fine,” she grumbled into the phone, “I suppose I can do that.”

“Wonderful,” L replied, and although Keiko couldn’t see him, she imagined that he had a knowing smirk on his face, “...also, I’d like to thank you for all of your hard work on this investigation so far. I know you don’t like the idea of spying on people, especially not on your boyfriend, but it is still very necessary in this investigation. Please remember, although you are a lot less suspicious of him, there’s still a 5 or 6% chance in my mind that Light Yagami is Kira. And, if Light Yagami actually is Kira, like I suspect him to be then…”   


L trailed off. Keiko sighed into the phone, now a little frustrated. First he had asked her to spy on her boyfriend yet again, and then he trailed off in mid sentence, “...then what, Ryuzaki-san? What is it?”

He was silent for a moment, and all Keiko could hear on the other end was his slow, steady breathing. 

_ He isn’t going to hang up on me, now is he? Honestly, he’s so frustrating sometimes...actually, more like most of the time, especially lately. _

Then, much to Keiko’s relief, he finally continued on, “...then please don’t let him fool you any longer, Keiko-chan. After all, you deserve so much better than to be with a mass murderer.”

Her heart gave a little lurch at his words, and needless to say, she was thoroughly confused. Before Keiko even had a chance to respond to him, L hung up, leaving her puzzled as she stood in front of the doorway to her bedroom. The detective’s words were now swimming around in her mind. 

_ What the...what’s up with him? I know he suspects Light of being Kira but why…? Wait..is this his way of actually attempting to be...nice...to me? He sure has a funny way of showing it, saying something like that...it almost sounds like...he almost...is being considerate...almost sort of like he might care...yeah, no, that’s not possible. He is a robot, after all. I’m just jumping to conclusions because I’m so sleep deprived. I just need to clear my mind and sleep for a while. _

 

_ /timeskip/ _

 

Misa’s POV:

Misa was sitting comfortably in a chair at the cafe in Aoyama. She had to admit, she had done well and found the perfect spot to observe the outside world without looking suspicious. Giggling to herself a little, she took a sip of her iced cappuccino. She was monitoring people as walked by on the sidewalks. Much to her delight, they were all completely unaware that they were being watched, which meant that she was doing a good job at keeping a low profile. She had also worn her short black haired wig, colored contacts, and glasses. Misa figured that it would be too risky to go out without a disguise on.

Misa also knew that it was crazy to assume that she would just  _ happen _ to see Kira walk on by, but she had a feeling he or she would appear eventually during the day. Her gut feeling was telling her so, and so far, her gut feelings had never been wrong. 

Rem was floating behind her, also keeping an eye out. Misa had no doubt that if she missed Kira somehow, by having to go to the bathroom or get a refill, Rem would fill her in.

At the moment she neither needed a refill nor a bathroom break, so she just kept her eyes peeled, looking for a floating name with no lifespan below it as hordes of people passed on by past the window of the cafe. 

Misa watched as a rather large group of people walked by, and her eyes snapped towards them. However, it wasn’t the large group in particular that had caught her eye, but rather, it was the small group of three people following close behind them.

_ Wow, would you look at that? No lifespan! One of them has to be Kira! I knew it, I made the right decision in coming out here, despite knowing that there would be extra surveillance…how wonderful... _

The one one the far right, who she identified as being Touta Matsuda, had dark hair with dark eyes. He was telling the other two a joke, causing them to laugh. Misa’s gaze flicked towards the girl in the middle, who was holding the other guy’s hand. The guy holding her hand flashed the girl, whom Misa had identified as Kagami Keiko, a warm smile before facing forward again. Upon further inspection, Misa quickly realized that this sandy haired guy was Kira. She leaned closer towards the window in front of her, a smile forming on her lips.

_ Found you! Hmmm...is it Yagami Moon? You’re the only one whose life span I cannot see. You have to be Kira! My, my, I have to say, you’re a lot more attractive than I was hoping for! It’s a shame that it appears you have a girlfriend, though...heh, I’m sure I can fix that later on, maybe even kill her if I have to, I’m sure you wouldn’t mind. After all, I’m sure I’m so much more useful to you than she is.  _

“All right, Rem,” Misa said suddenly standing up. She threw her half empty drink in the trashcan, “it’s time to go home.”

“H-huh? You finally found him and now you just want to leave?” Rem questioned, giving Misa a strange look.

“Well, I can’t go up to him, can I? I can’t just walk up to him, his friend, and his girlfriend and announce ‘Mr. Kira, I’m so pleased to meet you, I’m the one who send you all of those messages before’, that wouldn’t be good...however, I know his name now, so I can easily look him up later…”

_ And his girlfriend, for that matter...I want to know who exactly I’m up against.  _

“I see, when you say it that way, it makes sense,” Rem responded as the two of them exited the cafe, and headed towards the bus station that would take Misa back to her apartment. 

 

_ /timeskip/ _

 

“Ah, I see,” Misa murmured out loud, kicking her legs out behind her as she scrolled down the web page, “it’s written as ‘moon’ but pronounced as ‘light’...heh, Yagami Light, Light-kun...what a unique name Kira has...and he sure is amazing, Rem! Look at all this stuff!”

Misa pointed at the computer screen, and glanced over at Rem to make sure that she was paying attention before continuing on with the rest of her findings.

“He won a regional tennis championship back when he was in his second and third years of junior high, and he was at the top of his class all throughout his schooling career. Even in university, wow! Look, it says here that he gave the freshman address at To-Oh University...h-huh? What’s this?”

Misa’s eyebrows furrowed as she scanned over the picture underneath the To-Oh article, and she noticed that to the right of Light in the photo was the same girl she saw holding hands with him earlier. 

She had gotten so wrapped up in looking at Light’s personal achievements that she had almost forgotten about his girlfriend. She sighed, and opened another tab, searching up his girlfriend’s name next, determined to find out anything and everything about her. 

_ Kagami Keiko...Keiko-chan...I see, you must be pretty smart if you, too, got a perfect score on your entrance exam. But I just don’t like you hanging around my Light, you will have to leave the picture somehow, whether Light breaks up with you or I kill you. _

Misa clicked on her personal record first, carefully scrolling through the page. The more she read, the more annoyed she got. It appeared that Keiko was just as intelligent as Light was, and held just as many personal achievements as he did. In other words, she was looking damn near perfect. It was obvious to Misa why Light would be attracted to her, it appeared that they were pretty compatible.

_ Ugh, dammit! The more I learn about her, the more she gets on my nerves! Screw waiting, I don’t want to wait anymore...the more I wait, the more Light will probably fall in love with her! Therefore, I should just write her name down right here and right now!  _

Misa growled, a devilish glint in her eyes as she reached under her bed for her death note.

When Rem finally realized what Misa about about to do, she spoke up, “that’s not a good idea, you know. Think about it carefully, if you end up killing Light Yagami’s girlfriend, and get close to Light soon after, that makes you look suspicious.”

Misa placed the death note on her bed. She opened it by her laptop, and twirled her hair around. “Who cares, it’s not like that piece of evidence alone can convict me. If I let her live, she will just get in my way. So she has to die,” she said simply.

Rem sighed, “Misa...as I said, it’s not a good idea. Besides, you want this Light Yagami to trust you, right? If you kill his girlfriend that will probably anger him, and if you approached him right after he would easily figure out that it was you and that you’re the Second Kira…there’s a chance that he would kill you without even finding out what you have to offer first. Also, his girlfriend is innocent. You know Kira’s stance about killing the innocent.”

“I-I guess you’re right,” Misa pouted, reluctantly closing up her notebook. She then stood up and twirled around her room a little, “but, after I meet him, I can make him fall in love with me! I’m sure that, because I have the eyes, if he doesn’t right away, he will eventually. I can be of help to him, so I will let him use me...and while Keiko may be smart, she isn’t a model like I am!” 

Rem watched as Misa floated about her room in a dream-like state. After a short while, she circled back to her bed, “heheh, just you wait, Kira...or should I say, Light Yagami, soon your Goddess will be coming for you.”

 


	17. Chapter Eighteen: Lunch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is a fanfiction, please pardon this chapter’s foolishness in advance...heheh. As a warning the next few chapters might be a little rough, but it’s all to keep advancing the story the pace it needs to go to.

 

 

Light’s POV:

Light had Misa come back over the following day. He made sure that no one else would be home while she was there, that way the two of them wouldn’t have to deal with his little sister trying to interfere with things again. Light couldn’t have Sayu telling Keiko that he had another girl over two days in a row. He didn’t need Keiko thinking that he was going to cheat on her, that would only cause trouble with both the Kira investigation and his personal life.

However, he needed Misa to come over again today so that they could discuss how the two of them were going to “accidentally” meet each other in front of his girlfriend. That way, Keiko and the rest of the Task Force couldn’t be too suspicious of them. 

It would be even better if Keiko and Misa could somehow become friends, but with Misa’s personality, it looked like that would take a miracle. However, Light was hoping he could figure things out. After all, while Misa was dumb, she also appeared to eagerly want to do Kira’s bidding, and Keiko was the kind of person who trusted people as long as they appeared to have good intentions. He figured that even if Misa messed things up the first time around, Keiko would give her a second chance.

“Ooh, Light-kun, having me over here again so soon...it appears that you just can’t get enough of me, can you?” Misa giggled as she stepped into his room. She sprawled out on his bed, staring at him intently as he took a seat in the chair beside his desk. He saw Rem hoovering close behind her.

_ Geez…look at her, she’s certainly making herself at home…I can just tell right now that she’s going to be a nuisance…and she’s nothing like my girlfriend, Keiko wouldn’t have hogged the bed like that... _

“Please, don’t get any ideas about the two of us, Amane-san-” he started to say, pushing his thought about Keiko aside, but Misa interrupted Light before he could finish his sentence. 

“Please, call me Misa-chan, heheh,” she gave him a flirtatious smile, “it’s much cuter than Amane-san, don’t you think? Amane-san sounds so serious, so boring. Misa-chan, however, is cute and it’s flirty...”

_ Ugh, is there any possible way she could stop being so annoying?   _

Light fought the urge to roll his eyes. Calling her Misa-chan was honestly the last thing he wanted to do, but he needed her on his side, he needed her to cooperate with him and his demands. The way he looked at it, he had no other choice but to reluctantly comply with her request.

“Fine...Misa-chan...but keep in mind that we’re here to discuss business, so please don’t go getting any particularly weird ideas,” Light responded, giving her a look, “now...we need to come up with a way for you to run into my girlfriend and I while we are out in public together...it also needs to look natural, it can’t be too staged, otherwise it would look suspicious…”

“Alright, alright, I guess I can try to be serious for you…” Misa sighed, and she rested her head on her hand, “...although I don’t like talking about your girlfriend...so we’d better make this discussion quick...Light-kun, do you have any ideas in mind yet?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact I do,” he started, “hmm...wait, actually, before we start talking about that, there’s something else we should cover first. Now, I was thinking-”

He was cut off by Misa suddenly changing positions to sit upright on his bed. She waved her hands in the air above her head.

_ Dammit! If she keeps interrupting me we’ll never get anything done!  _

“W-wait a second, Light-kun! Before you start, I just thought of something else...since we established that we are going to be working together...well...can I please see your shinigami?” Misa asked, her eyes were round and full of curiosity, “you see, I really want to take a look at him. I’m really curious.”

Light sighed and tried to hide how irritated he was at the fact that Misa had just interrupted him yet again. He reminded himself that had to maintain his usual cool and composed personality, no matter what. 

_ Unfortunately, even though she’s super annoying, the fact is...I still need her to trust me, so I guess I have no choice but to let her meet Ryuk.  _

“S-sure, I suppose so,” was Light’s response, “but first, could you please turn around?”

“Alright!” Misa flashed Light a grin before happily turning around on his bed to face his wall. She started to hum as she was waiting for Light.

Light stood up and took out his wallet. He opened it and reached within the inner foldings of the fabric, taking out a small slip of paper. Light then reached forward and gently touched the paper to Misa’s right hand. 

“Okay...you can turn back around now,” Light announced.

“A-alright,” Misa replied. With that, she manuerved back around on his bed and slowly met Ryuk’s dark eyes.

The shinigami then chuckled and offered Misa a friendly smile, “hyuk, hyuk...hey there! So you can finally see me, hmm? Well, how’s it going? Are you enjoying the view?”

“Ooh!” Misa squealed, excitedly waving her hands at Ryuk, “wow, look at that! You’re a completely different type of shinigami than Rem, aren’t you? I already know your name! It’s Ryuk, am I right? It’s very nice to finally meet you!”

Ryuk awkwardly attempted to mimic what Misa was doing with her hands, “uh, yeah, I suppose I am! Anyway, same here. It’s nice to have someone else that can see me, hyuk.”

Light grimaced in annoyance at the interaction. Now that the introduction had been made, he didn’t want to waste any more precious time. He wasn’t sure how long he’d have the house entirely to himself. 

“Alright,” he said, once again gaining Misa’s attention. “Misa-chan...are you finally happy now? Can we move on to the important matters at hand?”

“Oh, sorry! Of course we can move on now, Light-kun!” Misa giggled, “thanks for showing me your shinigami. I suppose this means that you fully trust me now, so yay! Anyway...what was your plan again?”

“Well I will explain that in a moment, but honestly that’s not all we need to cover this afternoon. You see, after we figure out how Keiko and I are going to meet you, I will need you to make another video to send to the Task Force...it’ll have to say something like ‘I have decided to stop searching for Kira..and I’d like to thank the police department for all of their helpful advice. However, I still plan to help Kira execute his mission and someday I hope that he will see me as a worthy ally. I will begin by punishing criminals that Kira has yet to judge…’ something to that extent,” Light told her. 

He paused a moment, making sure that Misa was following along before continuing on, “also I was thinking about adding ‘I plan to share my powers with those that I feel are worthy, and I will encourage them to do the same...together we will make this world a better place’. That way we will throw off the police a little with their investigation. They suspect that two people have this killing power, so it wouldn’t be a stretch for them to think that there could be others. And if they believe they can easily multiple, it’ll create a panic....so can do you this?”

“There’s no need to ask,” Misa replied, a sly smile on her face, “whatever you tell me to do, I’ll do it. I’ll do anything that you ask of me, Light-kun.”

“Great. Now, there’s one more thing that I have to ask of you. It’s the most important thing I will ever ask of you, actually...if you get arrested by the police, or if you’re ever brought in as a suspect, you can never mention anything about us or the death note. As long as they don’t get a hold of that notebook, there’s no proof that you did anything. Can you promise to keep your mouth shut?”

Misa nodded vehemently, “I can. I promise you, I won’t say a word.”

“Good. I will hold you to that, you know,” he commented, a hard look on his face. 

If it came down to it, he wouldn’t hesitate to kill her. However, he hoped that it wouldn’t have to come to that, seeing as while she was annoying, she wasn’t a criminal. 

Light looked over at Misa once more, “now, onto my ideas about how Keiko-chan and I should meet you…”

While Light still thought that Misa was going to be somewhat of a nuisance, he was a little pleased that it now looked like he would be able to get somewhere with her. That is, assuming she wouldn’t get distracted again. He figured this would be a long afternoon.

 

L’s POV:

“So...were you actually planning on checking all of the footage we got in Aoyama on the 22nd by yourself, Ryuzaki-san?” Aizawa asked the detective, an incredulous but also somewhat impressed look on his face.

“Yes, that’s right,” L responded. He was intently fast forwarding through some of the daytime footage that they Task Force had collected, “I think that it’s very likely that Kira and the second Kira made contact with each other there on that day...so I want to thoroughly check all of these tapes myself.”

“Geez...how is that even possible? How is someone like him even human?” he heard Matsuda mumble in awe behind him. 

Although he knew none of the Task Force could currently see his face, as he was facing away from them, L still gave a small, sly smirk, “what a very good question, Matsuda-san...hmmm, perhaps if you put all of that curious energy you have into staying focused and working on the investigation, we could get actually somewhere.”

“Ryuzaki-san,” the detective heard Light’s father grumble, “you really shouldn’t be so hard on Matsuda-san all the time. He is, after all, a dedicated member. He’s risking his life, just like everyone else standing here in this room.”

“Heh, well when you put it that way, I suppose you’re right...anyway, Yagami-san, that reminds me. There’s an important favor I want to ask of you…” L replied, turning around to face him, his dark eyes were wide.

The chief looked over at the detective, “uh, okay, Ryuzaki-san. What is it?”

L gave him a small smile, “please ask Mogi-san to start following Light around, and keep tabs on all of his activities...what I’m saying is...I want to monitor your son again.”

Mr. Yagami looked aghast at L’s request, “w-what are you even saying, Ryuzaki-san?! You want Light followed? Again?”

“Yes,” L responded simply, “I do.”

The chief let out a deep sigh, “I suppose no matter what you won’t stop suspecting my son. I can pretty much assure you that he’s innocent, but I’ll do as you ask...however, wasn’t that what my son’s girlfriend was doing anyway? Keeping tabs on Light?”

L looked deep in thought, “yes, yes, she was...and if I asked her again, instead of Mogi-san, I know that she would say yes to my request...but the truth of the matter is...at this point, it would appear that your son has her almost completely wrapped around his finger. No matter how you look at it, it’s clear that she’s fallen for him. She also doesn’t suspect Light as much, for obvious reasons. So that’d be a problem.”

_ I suspect she doesn’t even realize how much she’s actually fallen for him...but I can see it whenever she sneaks glances at him. It’s glaringly obvious, and to be quite honest, for whatever reason, it’s also a little irritating. Perhaps it’s because if Light really is Kira, then he’s using her...and if he is using her, then she’s too blind to see that. She’s naive, especially when it comes to guys she likes, from what I’ve observed...it’s a flaw that could be fatal for her, if she isn’t more careful in the future... _

“But isn’t that what happens when two people are together like that?!” Matsuda interrupted. There was a passionate glint in his eyes, “it’s normal behavior! It’s not a problem! And it’s not just one-sided, from what I can see...so it’s not just Keiko-chan falling for Light, Light’s falling for her as well...personally, I think it’s rather sweet.”

“Sweet or not, normal or not, whatever…can’t you see that’s not even the point here? The point here, Matsuda-san, is that I feel like Mogi-san would be the most suited for this task at the moment. While I could ask Kagami-san again...I’m not so sure how good of an idea that’d be right now...because she’s fallen for him, she will see him in a biased way,” L explained, “and no matter how cautious or careful she might think she’s being, her personal feelings would be in conflict at this point. When I first asked her to spy on Light for me, the two of them were just beginning, just starting out. So it was perfectly fine...but now she’s wrapped around his finger. In conclusion, I don’t think she would currently be much help to us in that regard anymore, not unless she were to break up with him.”

“I see,” Light’s father replied thoughtfully, “I can understand your thinking.”

_ I highly doubt she would break up with him anyway, despite all the warnings I’ve been giving her...she hasn’t exactly been listening to me. Whenever she’s with him, she’s practically got stars in her eyes. It’s very distracting…however, I suppose I got through to her a little bit the other day, when I got a glimpse of who she was before she was so lovestruck. Heh, on that note, it’s certainly easy to rile her up. Her reaction to me before she left the hotel room was rather...interesting, to say the least… _

Matsuda sighed, “b-break up?! Ryuzaki-san, please, don’t talk like that...and what about when the three of us were in-”

“Before you ask, Matsuda-san, yes. I also had her also keep an eye on Light while in Aoyama and Shibuya, but that was fine, seeing as you were also there, and there were so many surveillance cameras around anyway. Even if she had missed something, we would have picked it up...which is also why I want to review the tapes personally,” L replied, his thumb resting by his lip.

Matsuda looked defeated. He was also a little ashamed that he had reacted to abruptly before, “geez, how’d you know what I was about to ask? But, at any rate, I’m sorry, Ryuzaki-san, you’re right, as always...what you said makes perfect sense...because Keiko-chan likes Light so much, there’s no way she would think he’s Kira. In fact, I don’t really want to think that he’s Kira myself.”

The detective gave a slight nod in his general direction and then addressed Light’s father once more, “yes. Therefore, I have to ask you to instruct Mogi-san tail your son. I would like this to be done as soon as possible because...well, it’s only a slim chance, but if Light is Kira, then there’s still a possibility that the Second Kira might have tried to contact him...or will contact him in the near future in some way. So, we need to be on the lookout for anything suspicious.”

 

Keiko’s POV:

“It’s a rather nice day, don’t you think?” Light asked Keiko as the two walked side by side, towards the university’s exit. They were headed towards the city. One of their professors had told them a couple days in advance that he wasn’t going to hold class that day, that he had a prior engagement he couldn’t get out of. 

Due to the fact that their last class of the day had been cancelled, the two of them had decided to eat lunch off campus at a cafe in the city nearby. 

“Mmm,” Keiko agreed, “it’s the perfect kind of weather...it’s not too hot, but it’s also not too cold.” 

“I agree,” Light replied, flashing his girlfriend a smile. 

The couple walked past the exit of To-Oh University, and headed on the sidewalk towards the city. As the two of them strolled along, Light started a rather passionate discussion on a book he had recently finished. He was giving her a play by play of all the parts of the book he disagreed with.

“Wow, even with how busy you’ve been, with your school work and the investigation, you still have time to read for fun...and then time to tear the book apart,” Keiko commented, a giggle escaping her lips, “I have to admit, I’m quite impressed.”

“Of course...I’m not called ‘golden boy’ for nothing,” Light joked. He gave Keiko a light smile, keeping his eyes on her as the two of them walked, neglecting to keep an eye on the sidewalk before him.

“W-what? Why’re you staring at me?” Keiko questioned, glancing over in her boyfriend’s general direction.

“You’re beautiful,” was his simple reply.

“Heh, thank you, Light-kun. But still, if we’re walking, you should look where you’re going not at m-w-wait...L-Light, watch out!” Keiko stuttered out.

However, it was too late. Keiko watched in horror as the scene played out before her eyes.

Light had ran into the poor, unsuspecting blonde girl who had been walking towards him. It appeared she also hadn’t been paying attention to where she was walking, and the two of them collided, sending the lunch box she had been holding all over the pavement below. There were bits and pieces of the girl’s lunch strewn everywhere within a one meter radius. 

“Augh!” the girl cried, looking up at Keiko’s boyfriend, there was a rather irritated look on her face. Her light brown eyes flashed, and Keiko noticed that the girl’s hair was styled into two pigtails that were on either side of her head. Her outfit looked like something you’d see in a gothic fashion magazine. She didn’t look like she was any older than the two of them. 

“This is why you watch where you’re going, and you don’t stare at your girlfriend at inappropriate times,” Keiko lightly grumbled under her breath. 

“I-I’m so sorry,” Light responded, and he crouched down, picking up the girl’s lunch box, closing the containers that had opened during the crash. He then handed them to the girl, an apologetic look on his face.

“It’s fine, I guess,” the girl replied, looking Light over carefully. She didn’t look as annoyed as she had been a moment ago, “just watch where you’re going next time, okay?”

“Y-yeah, sure...well since the ground is now eating your lunch, would you perhaps like to join my girlfriend and I? I mean, I did accidentally spill your lunch everywhere...you must be hungry,” Light offered, “and we were just about to grab lunch ourselves…”

“Light-kun…” Keiko mumbled, “I’m sure that she probably has better things to do and we literally just met he-”

“Yeah, sure. That sounds good, I was pretty hungry,” the girl responded before Keiko could finish. “The name’s Misa Amane, but you can call me Misa-chan...it’s much cuter, don’t you think?” she giggled.

Keiko watched in disbelief as the girl accepted her boyfriend’s offer. In all honesty, she really didn’t want Misa to tag along with her and her boyfriend.

_ I had wanted to spend time with Light alone and eat a nice lunch together, especially since we haven’t really had a lot of time to do that lately with the investigation and classes in the way, but...seeing as Light now owes her, I suppose this is the least he could do. It looks like I’ll just have to deal with it.  _

“I’m Light Yagami, and my girlfriend’s name is Keiko Kagami,” Light explained to Misa. who gave a slight nod.

Keiko cracked a smile and gave a polite wave to her, and Misa gave her a half wave in return. She almost felt like Misa’s action was strangely a little cold, but she brushed it off. After all, they were strangers who had just met each other.

With that, the three of them headed off towards the little cafe, which was located just a block away from where they had been standing.

_ /timeskip/ _

“Ahh, that was good!” Keiko heard Misa say, and she looked up to see the petite blonde girl patting her stomach, “thanks for inviting me along, Light-kun.”

“No problem, I hope this makes up for what happened earlier,” Light replied, offering her a slight grin in return. 

Keiko forced a pleasant smile herself, but she didn’t like how this girl was already using Light’s name informally. In fact, she didn’t really like the girl at all. Keiko knew that first impressions weren’t everything, but so far, she wasn’t that impressed by her. It appeared that there wasn’t much in common between the two of them. 

Quite frankly, she found Misa’s antics to be rather annoying. She also suspected that Misa was crushing a little on Light, which wouldn’t be that surprising to Keiko, as she had grown rather used to girls fawning over her boyfriend. However, she wasn’t worried about Light being unfaithful, from what she could tell, he only had eyes for her. The only thing that was bothering her in that regard was Misa’s overly dramatic behavior. 

“So, I hope you don’t mind me asking this, Light-kun,” Misa started, “but I was wondering...how exactly did you and your girlfriend get together?”

Keiko’s eyes snapped up, away from her empty plate, and onto the girl sitting in front of her. 

While there was an innocent look on her face, Keiko could sense the possible deeper meaning behind her question. 

_ Yeah, I don’t think there’s any denying it at this point...Misa might have a thing for my boyfriend. If that is so, then it’s clear she’s just trying to figure out who she’s up against...however there’s no way Light would fall for her; she’s nowhere near his type. She’s way too flashy, too loud, and from what I’ve gathered, she isn’t that bright. It’s clear that she relies a lot on her good looks, rather than on her abilities, to get through life...ugh, of all the people Light could’ve ran into, why did it have to be her? It’s making me rather uncomfortable… _

Keiko let out a soft sigh. 

_ If she was nice to me, then perhaps I would be more able to tolerate her. Being kind can go a long way. However, she’s being so rude. She’s making no attempt to get to know me, which has me thinking she’s after Light...that or another free lunch from him. _

Light opened his mouth to respond when all of the sudden, his cell phone went off. He fished it out of his pockets and flashed an apologetic look at Misa, “uh, I’m sorry. I have to take this, it’s probably really important. Excuse me for a moment.”

_ That means it’s probably either his father or L on the phone...I wonder what’s going on, are there new developments with the investigation? _

“No, no, that’s fine,” Misa gave Light a soft smile, brushing a stray strand of hair out of her eyes, “take all the time you need.”

Light gave a curt nod at her, and then stood up, walking towards the entrance of the cafe. Much to Keiko’s dismay, she was now totally alone with Misa. 

_ Wonderful…just what I wanted, to be left alone with the girl that wants to possibly hijack my boyfriend. Speaking of Light, he’d better get back here soon.  _

Keiko gave another soft sigh, studying the glamorous girl sitting across from her. Since Light was now outside, the girl had taken out her own cell phone to text. Although it was rude to text at the table, Keiko was oddly glad, because that meant she wouldn’t have to make awkward conversation with her.

Instead, Keiko spend her time scrutinizing the girl in front of her. While Keiko was studying her, she noticed that her fingernails were perfectly manicured. She also noticed that she had a black choker around her neck and cross earrings.

_ Amazing...like I said earlier, it’s like she stepped out of a gothic fashion magazine... _

“If you take a picture, it’ll last longer,” Misa commented in a tone of voice that was much too fake for Keiko’s taste, “heh, on that note, I could even pose for you. I’m used to doing that...I’m actually a model. You see, I was coming back from a shoot when Light-kun ran into me...”

_ Well that definitely explains the outfit...and her entitled attitude, for that matter. Maybe she isn’t after Light, maybe that’s just her personality... _

Fortunately, Keiko didn’t have to respond to her, because the little bell chime on the door went off, signaling that Light had stepped back into the cafe. He headed back towards their table but he didn’t sit back down.

“Well, it’s been fun, but I’m afraid that I have to go. Actually, my girlfriend and I both have to go now, Misa-chan,” Light announced, glancing first at Keiko then at Misa.

“Aww, alright,” Misa pouted a little, “but we should totally hang out again soon! Today was a lot of fun.”

Keiko almost swore for a moment she had seen a flash of annoyance on her boyfriend’s face, however it was quickly replaced with a friendly smile. Light then paid for their meals, and the two of them said their goodbyes to Misa, which Keiko was quite happy about.

_ Finally...I thought that lunch would never end. Geez, she’s hard to deal with. Model or not, what’s her drama? _

“So...who was on the phone?” Keiko questioned, switching gears as she and Light were back on the sidewalk. Now that the two were alone, she figured it would be okay to ask. 

“It was Ryuzaki-san...apparently, while we were eating lunch, there was another message sent to them from the Second Kira...he wants us to meet him at headquarters immediately.”

“H-huh? Is that so...another message? Well, that didn’t take long,” Keiko commented.

Light nodded in agreement, grabbing her hand, “yeah. So the sooner we get to headquarters to investigate, the better.”


	18. Chapter Seventeen: Meeting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoy!

 

 

 

Keiko’s POV:

“So, we were there both days...Aoyama on the 22nd and then Shibuya on the 24th and...we observed nothing of significance on either occasions,” Matsuda announced, a look of despair on his face, “damn...I was really hoping that we would find at least some clue that would lead us closer to either Kira or the Second Kira.”

Keiko flashed a sympathetic smile his way. He returned her look with a weak smile of his own as she replied, “well, at least we did our best and tried, Matsuda-san. Remember, it was never guaranteed that we found find anything anyway. Besides, there’s still one more entry left in the journal page...that-”

“That leaves us with only the Tokyo Dome on the 30th,” Ryuzaki interrupted before he popped a strawberry into his mouth. Keiko looked over at him and glared. 

“I was just getting to that, Ryuzaki-san,” she snapped at him. A moment later, Keiko could feel Light’s warm hand gently on her knee, as if to try and calm her down.

“Not fast enough for my taste,” the detective responded, a bored expression entering his face.

_ So much for the idea of him caring about me...see, Keiko, you were just so exhausted you were imagining things... he’s just as cold and emotionless as usual...but now his behavior is even more frustrating. _

Keiko opened her mouth to speak again when an incoming message from Watari popped up on L’s computer screen, “Ryuzaki-san, Sakura T.V. has just informed me that they have received another message from the Second Kira.”

There were gasps from several members of the Task Force. Keiko gave a small gasp herself, and she bit her lip in thought.

“What...the…” Keiko heard Matsuda quietly mumble beside her. She looked over at him, seeing his bewilderment written across his face. 

“It was postmarked on the 23rd,” Watari continued, “wait just a moment…”

Not long after, the gothic K.I.R.A. logo popped up on the screen, “I wanted to say that I have found Kira. To all of the people at the broadcasting station and the police station, thank you very much.”

_ What?! No way! Wait a second. So that means Kira had to be in Aoyama...unfortunately this also means... _

Keiko turned her attention towards Light once she felt him shift a little beside her. She watched as his eyebrows furrowed, signaling that he was in deep thought, and carefully studied him for any suspicious behavior. 

_ This means, as much as I don’t want to think about it, there’s still a possibility that my boyfriend, Light Yagami, may be Kira. A fact that I haven’t wanted to think about lately, a fact that I’ve been ignoring because nothing too suspicious has happened...until now. _

Getting the feeling she was being watched, she snapped her eyes away from her boyfriend. Keiko looked for the source of her sudden discomfort and found L’s dark eyes drilling a hole in her own. Once again, he had an unreadable expression on his face, but when he noticed that Keiko was looking over at him, he flashed a sort of smug look in her direction. She had no doubt in her mind that he knew exactly what she had been thinking. Keiko felt her face flush, but she didn’t dare look away. Her heart was pounding a little faster in her chest. 

“This is a disaster if he found him,” Aizawa commented, causing Keiko to finally break her eye contact with the great detective. Honestly, she was glad, their little staredown was starting to feel a little too intense, a little too personal for her taste. 

“Yeah,” Mr. Yagami added, “and it most likely means that the original Kira and the Second Kira are now cooperating with each other.”

“At this point, I don’t think we should jump to conclusions,” she heard L respond, “the Second Kira is only saying that he found him and nothing more. He may not have made any sort of contact with him yet...so now that it’s come to this...we have no choice but to communicate a message as the police and send it directly to the Second Kira.”

“You want to send a message to the Second Kira?” Matsuda questioned, leaning forward on the couch cushion, an incredulous look on his face. 

“Yes...the police need to reach out to the copycat first...and see if we can make a deal and negotiate with him in exchange for the real Kira’s identity.”

“Is there a chance that this will even work?” Mr. Yagami asked, pushing up his glasses as he stared at the emotionless detective.

“A very slim chance, but it’s still worth a shot,” L replied, “now, I’d like to air this message on tonight’s news… so, you see, we have some work to do.”

 

_ /timeskip/ _

 

A couple hours later, a draft of the message was ready. It was decided that Aizawa would read the message out loud to make sure it sounded okay. 

“If Kira doesn’t yet know your name, it may not be to late for you, provided that you are willing to cooperate. Whatever you do, you must not approach Kira out of curiosity...make no mistake: Kira will kill you if you contact him. You will be used and disposed of. Consider your own life for a moment, yours, like every other human life, has value. Now is your chance to make up for your previous wrongdoings by sharing what you know about Kira; only you can help us bring his reign of terror to an end.”

“Yes, yes, it’s good. Please send this over to Sakura T.V. immediately and tell them to broadcast it tonight,” L ordered, “as for the rest of you, I think that this concludes our meeting for today. So you are free to go.” 

“Understood,” Aizawa replied as the rest of the Task Force gathered up their materials to leave. Keiko stood up and stretched a little, she was a little emotionally exhausted from today’s meeting. It was all quite a bit unnerving for her. After all this time without anything particularly suspicious happening with Light, that now there was something that could potentially be connected to him. 

Of course, it could have been anyone in Aoyama that day, but the phone call from a few days ago from L had put her somewhat on edge...not to mention the look that the raven haired detective had given her earlier. Keiko knew that she couldn’t over look that, she ran a hand through her hair, swallowing hard.

_ I don’t like the way L is acting...however, maybe I should I be on my guard more? After all, Light is still a suspect in this investigation...no matter what, I cannot forget that. Even though I’d like to... _

“I’m sorry, there’s something that I wish to discuss with my father tonight...do you mind if I went straight home with him instead of walking you home first?” Light asked Keiko, breaking her from her thoughts as he stood up from his spot on the couch.

“N-no, you’re fine, go ahead,” Keiko responded, flashing her boyfriend a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. 

_ Can I trust you…? I really want to...but I’m not sure I should anymore, at least not as much...but, it’s hard not to trust you... _

Light leaned in and gave her a quick peck on the lips, causing Keiko’s heart to give a nervous lurch in her chest. She had gotten used to having him around, she had gotten used to his gentle touch, his sweet kisses...if her boyfriend was really Kira, she felt as though her world would crumble down around her.

_ I can’t deny the fact that I have strong feelings for you, Light Yagami...they’ve been clouding my judgement lately. _

“Thanks, Keiko-chan...I’ll text you later, goodbye.” With that, he walked away and caught up to his father, who had been just about to walk out of the hotel room.

Keiko was just about to walk out of the hotel room herself when she heard an unmistakable voice speak from behind her, causing her to give a little jump, “you’re back on guard a little more now, aren’t you?”

She slowly turned around to face L and his unblinking eyes. His raven black hair was a little disheveled, she noted, as he was uncomfortably close to her. Much to her dismay, she could feel her heart starting to pound faster again. She was nervous, unable to speak.

When Keiko didn’t reply right away, he continued on, that smug look from earlier returning to his face, “that’s good, I’m glad. I thought I almost lost you there for a moment. As I said the other night, your boyfriend is still a Kira suspect. I know you hold strong feelings for him, but you cannot forget that fact. After all...” 

L stepped a little closer to Keiko, their faces now only inches apart from each other. He leaned forward, close to her ear. She could feel the warmth of his breath as he spoke, “it’d be a shame if you were to get hurt, Keiko-chan…”

Keiko shivered as L pulled away from her, a smirk on his face. She then swallowed hard, hoping he hadn’t seen it, as she didn’t want him to know the kind of hypnotizing effect he was having on her. 

“Ryuzaki-san...if you’re worried about me, don’t be. I’m a big girl, I’ll be fine,” she responded, trying to keep herself as calm as possible as she walked towards the door of the hotel room. 

_ W-what’s gotten into him..? I spoke too soon earlier...he’s acting weird again...this...this definitely isn’t normal...is it because he suspects Light even more now? He’s trying to get inside my head because of it, isn’t he? Well, if that’s the case, unfortunately it’s working...he’s clearly succeeded. _

“Heh, who said I was worried?” Keiko heard L reply right before she exited, “it’s just a friendly warning. As I said before...please don’t be fooled, Kagami-san…because...I have a feeling that things are about to get...even more interesting.”

 

Misa’s POV:

“Where are you going?” Rem asked, trailing behind the blonde haired girl as she walked down the empty sidewalk towards a group of houses. Each one of them had a fancy-looking gate in front, indicating to her that Light lived in a neighborhood that was pretty well off. 

Misa glanced behind her, a playful smile on her face as she replied, “isn’t it obvious? I’m going to introduce myself.”

She stopped in front of the final gated house on the street, looking once more at the address written down on the piece of paper in her hand. 

_ Yes, this is it...which means...now it’s showtime! You can do it, Misa Misa! You can win over Light Yagami...Kira…! _

Misa took a step forward, a confident look on her face, and rang the doorbell. 

_ And now I wait... _

She didn’t have to wait very long. A moment later, a girl wearing a middle school uniform, whom Misa assumed was Light’s little sister, Sayu, opened the door for her. When she saw Misa standing there, her eyebrows shot up in confusion. 

“H-huh? You’re not Light’s girlfriend…” the girl commented, “uh...h-how may I help you?”

At the mention of Keiko, Misa had to bite her tongue to fight off a rude remark. She was much prettier, and way better, more useful, than Keiko. That much she was certain.

_ I’m not his girlfriend...not yet, at least. I will be replacing Keiko soon though, very very soon…. _

“Hello and good evening,” Misa started, giving Light’s little sister a kind smile. It was the one she used on her fans. She was sure it would work on her, it was worth a shot at least, “my name is Misa Amane. I just came by to give your brother an important notebook that he left in one of our classes at school today.”

“Uh, I see...could you please wait a moment?” Sayu responded, and she sped off, leaving the front door cracked open a bit. 

Misa could hear as she ran upstairs, presumably towards Light’s room, and rather loudly announced, “Liiiighhht! There’s a girl downstairs saying that she needs to return a notebook to you! She said she’s in one of your classes and she’s pretty cute too...so you need to explain yourself, Light! If you’re cheating on Keiko-chan with the girl downstairs why I-I...I’ll never forgive you!”

“W-what?! Who? Explain what? Sayu-chan, please stop jumping to irrational conclusions…” Misa could hear Light’s voice, and detected his confusion as he walked downstairs with his little sister trailing not far behind him. 

When the two of them were downstairs, Sayu swung the door open, revealing the girl in the gothic style dress. 

His eyes narrowed a little as soon as he finally saw Misa standing awkwardly outside. Misa could tell that Light had somewhat of an inkling of why she was there wanting to meet him, “Sayu-chan, could you please give us a moment alone?”

“Why, so you can let her seduce you to cheat on Keiko-chan? I mean, look at what she’s wearing!” Sayu accused, not even bothering to hide her suspiciousness as she crossed her arms. 

Misa kept up her poker face rather well, although she was a little more than annoyed that Light’s little sister already didn’t trust her or want Light to have anything to do with her. 

“No, Sayu-chan, it’s not like that…” Light attempted to push his little sister out of the way. When she didn’t budge he added, “I promise. I told you already, stop jumping to conclusions, now go away…”

With that, Sayu Yagami walked away, but she cast a final, wary glance at Misa before doing so. “That’s what the guys in the dramas on T.V. all say when another girl pops into their life...then they cheat,” she grumbled as she stalked off, “I don’t want my older brother to be like them…”

Light sighed a little, and he stepped outside, closing the door behind him as he did so, “sorry about my little sister...she can be a little...dramatic. Anyway, who are you and why are you here exactly?”

_ Time to work my magic! _

Misa flashed a coy smile at Light. “I think you already know...I’m very pleased to finally meet you, Light Yagami...I’m Misa Amane. I thought you might get worried if you saw that message on T.V….” she trailed off, and started to reach into her bag, pulling out the death note, “I just couldn’t take it anymore! So, I brought you this notebook!”

 

Light’s POV:

_ No way...she has a Death Note! Could this girl actually be…? _

He took another step forward, and lightly touched the notebook that she was holding. When he looked up again, he could see her shinigami. He saw that she had a white, skeletal appearance, and one of her eyes was covered up. 

_ A shinigami! There’s no mistaking it now; she’s the fake Kira! _

He took another good look at Misa Amane, “for now, please put the notebook back in your bag. We’ll talk in my room, where no one else can bother us, if that’s alright with you.”

Misa nodded, shoving the notebook back into her bag, a faraway look on her face, “alone in Kira’s room? Heheh, wow, it’s a dream come true.”

Light fought off the urge to roll his eyes and opened the front door for her, “please, come inside…”

As soon as Sayu heard the door rustling, she jumped off of her spot on the couch. This time, his mother was next to her, also walking towards the door, a curious expression on her face. Meanwhile, Sayu still sported the same sour look she had just a couple minutes ago. 

“Mom, Sayu-chan, this is Misa Amane. She’s a classmate from school...she came all this way to return a notebook I accidentally left in class the other day,” Light started. 

He gave a little shrug as he continued on, “so...I figured the least I could do to repay her kindness is help tutor her because, admittedly, she isn’t doing too well in the class we're in.”

“O-oh, I see,” his mother commented, “well, in that case...please make yourself at home.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Yagami,” Misa replied, bowing her head a little as she walked past her, “and thank you, Light-kun, for offering to help tutor me.”

“It’s no problem,” Light responded, motioning for Misa to follow him up the stairs. 

“That better be all you two are doing. If there’s anything suspicious, I’m telling!” Sayu called out after the two of them.

“Sayu-chan! Don’t be rude,” Light heard his mother scolding her. He took a deep breath as he opened up his door for Misa, following her as he stepped inside.

“Have a seat,” he gestured at the empty chair sitting in front of his desk. 

He watched carefully as Misa sat down, and he took a seat on his bed across from her.

_ Well...this certainly is interesting... I never imagined that the Second Kira would be someone like her... _

There was a moment of silence before Light asked, “so...Misa Amane...how exactly did you manage to find me?”

“Aha!” Misa announced. “I knew it; you don’t have the eyes! You see, when you have the shinigami eyes like I do, you can see most people’s name and life span above their head. However, you can’t see the life span of any person who possesses a death note…”

Upon hearing this, Light’s eyebrows rose slightly. He gave an irritated sigh, and then proceeded to cast a death glare in Ryuk’s direction.

The shinigami, however, appeared to look just as shocked as Light was. “Wow...no kidding,” he murmured, “I have to admit, even I wasn’t aware of that little detail.”

Light focused his attention back onto Misa, there was a hard look in his eyes, “I see, that makes sense...well, you found me alright...although, you were careless. What if you had been caught by the police? Then they’d know everything about Kira.”

“It’s alright, don’t worry. As you can clearly see, the police didn’t catch me,” Misa responded. “...and if I do as you say from now on they’ll never be able to. So we’re safe...and after all, don’t you need someone to see L’s name? If you want... _ I  _ could be your eyes. However, there’s one condition that I have…” Misa trailed off, that faraway look returning in her eyes as she played with a loose strand of her hair.

“And...” Light prompted her, “what would that be?”

Misa focused her attention on Light, her eyes shining with determination as she announced, “it doesn’t have to be right this second...but sometime soon,  _ very _ soon, preferably...would you please make me your girlfriend?!”

Light let out a small gasp and shifted a little on the bed. Out of all the possible requests he could think of, he hadn’t expected that to come out of her mouth. 

“G-girlfriend?” Light stuttered out, and then he quickly composed himself. “Amane-san-”

“P-please, Light-kun,” Misa interrupted him, “I know you’re currently in a relationship with another girl, Keiko Kagami, but it’d be easy for you to break up with her I’m sure. Don’t worry about missing her, I know that with time, I can make you genuinely fall for me...after all, I’m so much more  _ useful _ than she is.”

Behind him, Light could hear Ryuk laughing, “oh boy...however, she does have a point though, her shinigami eyes would make her useful...how are you going to get out of this one, Light? Who will you choose?”

_ Dammit! Out of anything she could have asked for, why did it have to be this?! There’s no way I could break up with Keiko, not without making myself appear more suspicious to L and the rest of the Task Force....also, in a weird way, I don’t really want to break up wi-! No, no, Light stop thinking like that! You’re wrong! You could easily break up with her if you wanted to, you’re a God! No, the only reason you don’t want to is because she’s too connected with the investigation, not because you like her. You can’t like her, otherwise you’d become weak! Gods aren’t weak. Besides, having feelings for her would be crazy! She’s working with the detective that wants to capture you once and for all!  _

“I’m afraid I don’t like competition,” Misa added after a moment when Light didn’t respond right away, “...so if you don’t break up with her soon then perhaps I’ll just have to get rid of her myself.”

“No, don’t! If you kill her, then you’ll screw everything up!” Light snapped loudly. He sighed, and breathed in a slow, heavy breath in an attempt to regain his composure, “listen, I’m afraid I can’t break up with Keiko…”

Misa stood up, taking a couple steps forward until she was right in front of Light. 

“Okay, fine, maybe killing her is a bit extreme but breaking up with her...it’s not that hard...why can’t you just do that for me, why not?” she pouted, using her puppy dog eyes. She didn’t seem to understand that looking innocent wouldn’t work on Light Yagami. 

_ Somehow, I have to try and make this girl understand... _

“Look, first of all...the day that we were in Aoyama there were three times the number of surveillance cameras around. Anyone who was in Aoyama that day would have definitely been caught on camera, and that includes me...secondly, if I were to break up with Keiko only to be seen with you directly after then it wouldn’t look very good. In fact, even being here right now is a problem, and it appears that my little sister is already suspicious of our relationship...I wish you’d understand that,” Light tartily replied, looking up at Misa.

Misa sighed a little and reached behind her for her bag. She retrieved a couple pictures and sat down next to Light on the bed, handing the photographs over to him, “but look. When I was in Aoyama I had on a wig, colored contacts, and glasses. So we shouldn’t have a problem in that regard. As for your little sister, I’m sure that I could get her to like me eventually, after all, I’m told that I have quite the sparkling personality…”

“Wow, hyuk hyuk… so what now? I’m definitely sure that no one would be able to recognize her like this,” Ryuk commented. 

Misa continued on, “and as for the video tapes that got sent over to Sakura T.V….I never laid a finger on them, so there is no trace of my fingerprints. Up until recently, I lived in the Kansai region of Japan and I had a friend there who was really into the occult. I suggested that we should distribute some fake poltergeist videos I had made to a bunch of T.V. shows, sort of as a prank, and she agreed to help me. I had her take care of all of the dubbing so my fingerprints wouldn’t be on the tapes...then I took them from her, added the Kira graphic, and recorded my messages with that voice effect...anyway, if you want me to kill my friend for you, just to be extra cautious, then I will!”

She looked over at Light, attempting to gauge his reaction,“so you see, there should be no other reason for you to turn me down...and if you really still can’t trust me...then you can hold onto my death note, but you would just be holding it, so that I would still be the rightful owner and keep the shinigami eyes.  That way, I will still be of use to you...there, that should eliminate any other doubts that you may have about me, right? Also I promise you; I’m not hiding any pages of the death note, you can search me and my apartment, if needed...”

_ While I have to admit, that’s pretty impressive coming from a simpleton like her, there’s still another thing bothering me... _

“Why are you willing to go this far…?” Light questioned her.

“Wahh! Why are you still so suspicious of me?!” Misa cried out, and she got up from her spot on the bed, collapsing on the floor in front of him. Tears were threatening to fall from her eyes as she spoke, “exactly one year ago, my parents were killed by a robber who had broken into the house. I was home with them at the time...it actually happened right in front of me. I wanted that man to pay for what he did, but the trial dragged on forever and opinions started surfacing that he was being falsely accused...then it happened. Kira punished him for what he did to my parents. And that’s why Kira means everything to me! All I wanted was a chance to meet you one day, so I could thank you properly…”

_ So all of these irrational moves...they were just a means for her to meet Kira...to meet me. She has promised to obey me from now on...but I still cannot accept her condition...however, I still really need to use her. There has to be a way to use her without breaking up with Keiko. I just have to find it, I have to find another way to make Misa happy, so I can still make use of her powers...looks like I will have to make a compromise of sorts...unfortunately in the process, I might have to reveal more information than I want to, just to make this girl understand...oh well, in the end, it’ll be worth it. I just have to get this girl to do what I want her to do... _

Light groaned for added effect. It looked like he would have to work his charm extra hard with her, “look...Misa-chan...I admit that you’re beautiful, and you would be very useful to me...but unfortunately, I still cannot break up with my girlfriend for you. You are right, though, all my doubts of you are eliminated...and I would love to have you by my side with me...however...truthfully, there’s one more reason in particular why I cannot accept the condition of your offer, and it has nothing to do with you; I assure you, you’re not the issue here…”

_ In actuality, you are the issue here, but I can’t tell you that... _

Misa slowly looked up at him, her eyes full of curiousness and disappointment, “why is that, Light-kun? What’s the issue?”

He ran a hand through his hair, “I probably shouldn’t say too much but...L is already quite suspicious of me. He contacted me personally. If I make one mistake then we can both be easily be caught by him. It’s even worse because...it’s not just L that’s suspicious of me. You see, L also reached out to my girlfriend. He met up with her and explained why he suspected me, and recruited her to help him and the rest of the police working with him to spy on me.”

Misa’s eyes looked like they were about to pop out of their sockets, “w-what?! You can’t be serious, that’s insane! L already suspects you that much that he got your girlfriend on board with investigating you?!”

“I’m afraid I’m dead serious,” Light responded, sitting on the floor next to Misa, “that’s why I can’t break up with Keiko-chan for you, it’ll look too suspicious. L will just suspect you of being the Second Kira right away, and that can’t happen. We’d be playing right into his hands.”

Light heard as Misa let out a deep sigh, “I-I see...giving up on something I want isn’t something I normally do, but for you, I just might be able to. After all, I only want to be useful to you...but even if I can’t be your girlfriend in particular right away, I still want spend time with you...”

He watched as she pouted a little, puffing out her cheeks. 

“I thought about that already...as long as you promise not to be suspicious, then we can be friends. However, it would look a little weird if all the sudden I started hanging out with another girl, even just as a friend, it has to look natural...how about we can meet somewhere by chance, or something else to that extent, and from there we start to become friends? However, my girlfriend has to be around when we ‘first meet’ as well, that way she can personally confirm that we aren’t suspicious...”

Misa squealed beside him, “Oh, Light-kun, your plan is perfect! That way, I can still see you and nobody will suspect a thing, not even your girlfriend!”

_ Heh, it looks like I got her...now to sweeten the deal, to add more of an incentive... _

“Exactly,” Light smirked, “as for your desire to become my girlfriend...well, if you were serious about your ability to make someone fall for you, then prove it by making me fall for you. If you can successfully make me fall for you, then I will break up with Keiko-chan.”

_ I doubt you’d actually make me fall for you, so there’s no actual chance of me doing that. I can’t fall for anyone, not even Keiko, despite how much we’re alike or how good she smells...I cannot and will not allow myself to do such a thing. Love makes people weak, and weak people get caught. Therefore, I can’t afford to have any weaknesses...but Misa doesn’t have to know that... _

At that, Misa leaned closer to Light and wrapped her arms around his neck, “oh my God! Are you serious?! So I still have a chance with you?! This is the happiest day of my life! Light Yagami, mark my words, I will become your eyes, and I will make you fall in love with me!”

Light smirked, letting the girl hug him.

_ I’ve got her right where I want her… _

Misa continued on, “in return for your kindness, would you like to know how to kill a shinigami?”


	19. Chapter Nineteen: Retaliation

 

Keiko’s POV:

“Ryuzaki-san,” Light called out the detective’s alias as soon as he and Keiko stepped into the hotel room, “we’re here.”

“Perfect, come on in. I was just about to start, ” L replied, spinning his chair around to face the two of them as they walked in.

Aside from Ryuzaki, there was also Light’s father, Aizawa, and Matsuda present. Keiko and Light sat down on the couches next to them. Once they were settled in, they focused their attention towards the raven haired detective. 

“As I said on the phone earlier, we received another message from the Second Kira. It actually arrived not too long before I called you all here...I believe that it could also very well be the Second Kira’s last message to us...well, just take a look for yourselves…” L popped a strawberry into his mouth as he turned on the hotel room’s television.

Once again, the familiar gothic K.I.R.A. lettering flickered onto the screen. Keiko bit her lip, waiting for the message to begin.

“I have decided to stop searching for Kira,” the Second Kira started off saying, which earned a gasp from both the Chief and Matsuda. Keiko was just as surprised, but she didn’t show it on the outside.

“And I’d like to thank the police department for their advice...however, I still plan on helping Kira with his mission, and I hope that in time, he will come to see me as an ally. I will start by punishing criminals that Kira has yet to judge. Also I will share my power with others that I feel are worthy...and I will encourage them to do the same. Together, we will make this world a better place.”

_ No way...there’s no way the Second Kira would say this, it’s not like him...it has to be scripted somehow... _

The room was filled with static as the tape ended. L turned off the T.V. and faced the Task Force once more, carefully looking over each and every one of them. He spent extra time looking over both Light and Keiko, who shifted uncomfortably under his intense gaze. 

“After watching this message I can only conclude that Kira and the Second Kira have made contact with each other,” L said after a while, pressing his thumb to the side of his mouth. 

_ I have to admit, that actually makes the most sense...and if that happened, then I have no doubt in my mind that Kira told the Second Kira to send this message to us.  _

“What makes you say that?” Light asked, and Keiko shot a confused glance at her boyfriend. She didn’t know why Light hadn’t gotten the same vibe she did, because for the most part, the two of them were on the same wavelength. It was part of the reason why Keiko really fell for him, the two of them seemed to understand each other, and they were at the same level intellectually. 

“Oh come on, didn’t you sense it?” L started. “I was sure you’d come to the same conclusion I did after watching it...you see...” the detective trailed off, Keiko figured it was probably for added dramatic effect.

Keiko saw her opportunity, and took her chance to interrupt the detective before he could go on, “well, first of all, Light-kun, consider how determined the Second Kira was to meet him...so why is there this sudden change in attitude? And the fact that he also wants to punish criminals that Kira hasn’t, just because he wants Kira to see him as an ally? It just begs the question...why didn’t the Second Kira do this from the start? That means, if the two got in contact with each other, then Kira told the Second Kira to say this.”

_ Hah. This is payback for interrupting me last time, Ryuzaki...I bet you thought I forgot about that, well you were wrong,  _ Keiko thought to herself, a smug look on her face as she glanced at the detective. As she suspected, L was looking at her. 

However, it appeared to Keiko that, rather than being annoyed at being interrupted, like she had been last time, he just looked amused, perhaps almost impressed. 

“Exactly,” L added, glancing over at Keiko, matching her look with a smug look of his own, “and Kira probably also told him specifically which criminals he’d be allowed to judge. I suspect that the purpose of this message was to hide the fact that they met.”

Light slowly nodded, “I see, that makes sense...but what I find really strange is that it’s unlike Kira to be so careless.”

“That’s true,” L remarked, “but are we really to believe that Kira made a mistake? Or...is this just his way of letting us know that they made contact on purpose? I can’t rule out the possibility that this could be some sort of scare tactic; the idea of their union is very threatening...however, this is also one less reason for me to suspect that Light is Kira.”

Light’s father looked up at the detective, his eyebrows furrowed, “and what do you exactly mean by that, Ryuzaki-san?”

L popped another strawberry into his mouth, a thoughtful look on his face, “if Light were Kira, I don’t think this would be the message that he would have the Second Kira send us, it doesn’t fit. He would have made the Second Kira go through with his original plan to have me appear on T.V., then he would deny that they ever made contact with each other, therefore letting the Second Kira shoulder the blame for my death. He’d made him say something like...hmmm.”

He paused a moment, and picked up another strawberry and carefully inspected it, “‘although I originally agreed not to go through with this, I have come to realize that it was not Kira’s true intention that I stop. I am positive that the real Kira would want L to die.’”

_ This has to be another test for Light, I’m sure...he’s right, there’s no way Light would send this particular message on T.V. if he were Kira...ugh I can’t believe I just thought that! But still, it’s true, if Light were Kira, there’s no way that would have been the message he’d send. However, Light also wouldn’t send the message that L just came up with either, after all, I know my boyfriend... _

“Ryuzaki-san,” Light crossed his arms, “I think you’re mistaken...if I were Kira, I would never do that.”

“And why not?” L questioned, looking over at Keiko’s boyfriend.

“Well, if you’re L and I’m Kira, then I’d already know your personality pretty well; L would never agree to appear on T.V., no matter what threat he was facing...the L I know would find some way to escape the situation.”

“So you figured it out, huh?” L gave Light a slight smirk.

_ I knew it, it was another test...since Light passed L’s test, does this mean my boyfriend’s not actually Kira? I really hope so…at this point, there’s no going back, I’ve fallen for him...there’s no taking that back now. If he were actually Kira...well, I wouldn’t even need to suffer a heart attack, I’d feel the same way without one. It’d feel like death. _

Mr. Yagami gave an uncomfortable cough, “look, Light, please stop saying things like that...I don’t like hearing you say ‘if I were Kira’, even if it’s only hypothetically.”

“Oh, I’m sorry dad...I just wanted to let Ryuzaki-san know exactly what I was thinking, and I posted that scenario because I want to solve this case. It’s the only chance I have at clearing my name. Besides, the only reason I feel comfortable saying things like that is because I’m not actually Kira,” Light replied, laughing a little as he gave his father a smile.

Keiko watched as L ate another strawberry and studied Light a moment. 

“That’s a good point; you’re not Kira. That is, it would be a problem if you were Kira...because...I feel that you and Kagami-san are the first and only friends I have ever had…”

Keiko swore that her heart almost skipped a beat at the detective’s words, and she let out a barely audible gasp as the blood rushed to her face. She felt as though her ears were playing a trick on her. 

_ W-what…? F-friend? Did I hear that correctly? Ryuzaki considers Light and I to be his friends…? Is he serious?  _

Keiko’s gaze snapped over to where L was sitting in his chair, and she bit her lip, deep in thought as she scrutinized him. She wasn’t looking for anything in particular, just a clue, any sort of clue, as to what he was thinking. L must have sensed that he had an audience, because his dark eyes soon met Keiko’s. 

_ Oh great, he caught me… _

“R-Ryuzaki-san,” she stuttered out, swallowing hard. There was nothing else she could say; the words wouldn’t come out.

He carefully looked her over a moment, not saying anything as he gave her a small but friendly smirk before turning his attention over to Light. Keiko could feel herself turning pink again, and she attempted to ignore the momentary flutter she had gotten in her stomach when he had glanced at her. 

_ Why am I having such a strong reaction towards him? He didn’t do anything spectacular; all he did was call me his friend...but if he seriously considers me to be one of his friends, then why does he always act so cold and emotionless? He’s always acted so weird around me, especially lately...as always, he’s so frustrating... _

All of the sudden, L continued on, breaking Keiko from her thoughts, “but while I can comfortably and confidently say that Keiko-chan isn’t Kira, there’s still reason to suspect you, Light-kun…”

“I know you won’t take my word for it,” Light replied, giving Ryuzaki a soft smile, “but I’m not Kira. I want to prove that to you once and for all someday...because I also consider you a friend, Ryuzaki-san, and I know Keiko-chan considers you to be a friend as well.”

_ Do I…? I have to admit, I never quite thought about it until now. I suppose in some strange way, I could see that. However…shouldn’t friends have a good understanding of each other? He’s always so hard to figure out, and half the time, one could forget that he’s even human...he seems to lock the human side of him away, all I manage to get are quick glimpses... _

“Thank you,” the detective replied, glancing between the two of them. His eyes landed on Keiko’s once more, and she felt like he was trying to reading her mind. She figured that he probably could’ve, he seemed to have a knack for reading people, especially her, much to her annoyance.

However, someday, she wanted to be able to read him as well, to find the emotion hidden behind his cold exterior. She figured, the sooner she could do that, the better. Then perhaps he wouldn’t affect her so much, since they’d be on an equal playing field for once, rather than him being two or three steps ahead.

 

_ /timeskip/ _

 

Light’s POV:

“So he’s a friend, huh?” Ryuk gave a little laugh, “it’s a good thing that he considers you his friend, right? That means that he at least wants to trust you, doesn’t it?”

Light sighed, once again Ryuk didn’t get it, “friend? Heh, that’s almost laughable. Knowing him, this is probably just another one of his tests...and that damn Ryuzaki had no problem figuring out that Kira and the Second Kira had made contact with each other...as soon as I get the chance, I’ve got to eliminate him.”

“Hyuk, I see,” Ryuk replied, munching on an apple that Light had tossed him earlier, “and you’re going to do that by using Misa’s eyes?”

“Just keep watching, you’ll see,” Light replied, an evil glint in his eyes.

_ Heh, and on that note, I suspect she’ll be arriving soon. Good, there are a few things I need to discuss with her. _

A moment later, Light heard the ding of the doorbell from below, confirming that he was right. He smirked before he headed down the stairs, taking them two at a time, listening as his sister opened the door for his guest.

“Oh,” Sayu grumbled, “it’s you again.”

“Sayu-chan, is that any way for you to treat my guest?” Light responded, finally reaching the doorway. He placed a hand on his younger sister’s shoulder, “be friendly...and don’t go getting any ideas again; she’s only here so that I can continue where I left off in tutoring her.”

Sayu sighed warily, carefully pointing her finger over at Misa, “whatever, if you say so. But again...don’t let her seduce you with that tacky outfit of hers!”

With that, she stalked off, leaving Light alone with the blonde girl, who had crossed her arms defensively over her chest and a scowl on her face. 

“What’s wrong with my outfit?” Misa huffed, looking down at her short, gothic styled black dress, “I think that it looks rather cute on me...”

Light chuckled, keeping a pleasant expression on his face, even though he was already tired of the girl. 

It had been difficult for him to ‘accidentally on purpose’ run into her the other day, but he still did it anyway. Light knew it had been necessary to ensure that Misa didn’t become suspected of being the Second Kira. He had perfectly timed their interaction so that when he was eating lunch with Misa and his girlfriend, the Task Force got their final message from the Second Kira. That way, both Misa and Light had an alibi if L were to ask about it later on. 

Not only that, but if anyone had been tailing him again, they could also confirm Light and Misa’s whereabouts during that time. He just had to count on the fact that L wouldn’t be able to see through his charade. However, even if L did see through his plans, Light was confident that he didn’t have enough evidence to hold Misa or him under strong suspicion. 

Light hadn’t wanted to see Misa again so soon afterward, but it was still very necessary. 

“Yes, while your outfit might be cute to you, to a middle schooler, it’s pretty scandalous...anyway, come on in,” Light replied, motioning for Misa to step inside the house, “and don’t worry...as I said, she’ll warm up to you eventually. She’s just gotten used to Keiko-chan coming over, that’s all. And because Keiko’s the first girl I’ve brought home, I guess Sayu-chan’s just being a bit protective of her.”

Misa gave a slight hmph at the mention of Light’s girlfriend as she stepped inside, following him up the stairs to his bedroom. Rem was following close behind her.

“And anyway,” Misa added as the two of them reached the top of the stairs, “if my outfit seduces you, then that means it’s doing a great job, because that’s just what I wanted it to do.”

Light stifled an attempt to roll his eyes at the blonde haired girl, motioning for her to step into the bedroom. When she was finally inside his room, he closed the door behind them, not wanting for anyone to be able to eavesdrop on their conversation. 

Misa made a beeline for his bed, making herself at home in it once again. Light opted to sit at his desk. 

“Now, Light Yagami, tell me, what is this about?” Rem questioned. Light could tell from the look on her face that she didn’t quite trust him.

“I called Misa over here because there’s something important that I wish to discuss with her...well, a couple important things actually,” Light replied, looking over at the shinigami who was floating around by Ryuk.

“Hmm? What is it, Light-kun?” Misa perked up, and she positioned herself so that her head was resting on one of Light’s pillows. 

Light pondered a moment. He was trying to figure out a way to put the topic lightly, “well. First of all, while our little plan the other day went pretty well, it still wasn’t entirely a success...”

“And why not?” Misa asked, tilting her head a little, “I got to eat lunch with Kira, so I’d say that’s a success.”

_ She really doesn’t get it, huh? Misa’s way too careless. Unless she befriends my girlfriend now, it’s unfortunately only a matter of time before she’d slip up and Keiko would start to suspect her...and no matter how much she likes me or how careful I’m being, and she’d go straight to L if I’m being suspicious… and there’s no way I could kill Keiko, she’s way too involved in this investigation! Even if I kill L before getting to her, the others on the Task Force would immediately suspect that I’m Kira because it wouldn’t make sense for her to die. That...and...perhaps...there’s a chance I honestly...might like he-no, I can’t be weak, that’s what! And Misa’s a weakness as well; I have to get her to be careful too.  _

Light sighed, “well, while Keiko-chan shouldn’t be suspicious of you now, considering how we met was an accident with us running into each other, the whole point of you meeting my girlfriend in the first place and us going out to lunch together was so that you could fully gain her trust...I should have thought it would have been obvious, but it looks like I’ll have to spell it out for you; if you want to gain her trust, like I want you to, then you’ll have to become her friend, Misa-chan. While she isn’t suspicious at the moment, who’s to say she won’t become suspicious later on? Being her friend is the only way to avoid that.”

_ Luckily for Misa, Keiko is pretty trusting of those with good intentions. All Misa would have to do is make Keiko think she genuinely wants to become friends with her...I figure that would take the two of them hanging out a few times together one on one. After all, it only took me about a week of study dates to make Keiko like me enough to go out with me.  _

Misa’s face turned sour, “w-what?! Are you crazy, Light-kun?! You didn’t mention that last time! You just told me to bump into you on the street, and drop my lunch so that we could all eat together...I didn’t realize that becoming her f-friend was in the job description!”

“I didn’t mention it because I thought it was obvious! How else do you gain someone’s trust? You have to become their friend. You know that my girlfriend is working with L, if she starts to suspect you for any reason, then it could be all over for us-”

Misa jumped off of the bed, crossing her arms, “no way! I don’t want to! I don’t want to become friends with the girl who stole you away from me! I already told you before, I don’t like sharing you, Light-kun! I want to make you happy, but that’s asking way too much of me!”

_ I was mentally preparing myself all day for dealing with her, but even that’s not enough...she’s really getting on my nerves.  _

Light rubbed his temple, he could feel his blood pressure slowly rising, “I met her first, so she didn’t  _ steal _ me, Misa-chan-”

“I don’t care!” Misa cried, interrupting him once again, “you’re Kira, and I’m the Second Kira, so you’re mine! It makes sense that way!”

No matter how hard he tried, Light couldn’t contain his annoyance any longer, “just shut up and listen to me for a moment, Misa-chan! If you want me to remain Kira, and if you want to remain as the Second Kira, then you’ll do as I say and you will make a friend and an ally out of my girlfriend! Didn’t you say that you wanted to be useful to me?! That you wanted me to see how useful you were and fall for you?!”

That got her attention, Misa’s arms slowly uncrossed, and she looked over at him, her eyes wide. 

“Look, L already suspects that Kira and the Second Kira made contact with each other! If we make any false move now, we’ll easily get caught! I was hoping I wouldn’t have to say this...but if you mess things up for me, no matter how useful you might be...I might just have to kill you!” Light snarled out, an evil gleam now in his eyes.

“I would never allow you to do such a thing, Light Yagami!” a voice boomed from the corner of the bedroom. Light looked over and saw Misa’s shinigami giving him a piercing glare.

Once Rem had his attention, she continued on, “mark my words, Light Yagami, if you do anything that results in this girl’s death...the first thing I’ll do is write your name in my death note. In other words, I will kill you. I’m sure you realize that I can see her lifespan, if she happens to die before that date, I will know that it was you who killed her.”

_ Dammit! W-what is this?!  _

Light’s eyes narrowed at the shinigami, “but if you used your death note to save her, wouldn’t that mean that you would be sacrificing yourself in the process?”

“That’s right!” Misa commented, looking over with concern at her shinigami, “Rem, if you tried to avenge me, then you’d die too!”

“Yes, you are correct,” Rem replied. She stared straight into Light’s eyes, “but I’m quite willing to accept that outcome...you see, like Gelus, I’ve seen her many times from the shinigami realm and...certain events have also made me develop feelings for Misa. So if it came down to it, I would be willing to die for her.”

_ Is this shinigami serious?! This is crazy! _

Ryuk chuckled, shaking his head at Rem, “hyuk, feelings? Heh, but you’re a shinigami!”

Light inhaled deeply, trying to calm himself down. He closed his eyes a moment, attempting to formulate a new course of action.

_ If I can’t safely kill off Misa if needed...then I suppose this is the best thing I could do in order to ensure neither of us get caught by L for the time being. Hopefully I will be able to kill L soon but at the moment I can’t safely kill him. But...maybe...with this shinigami’s help... _

“Okay, fine,” he responded after a moment, opening his eyes again. “I won’t kill Misa-chan. I suppose I can work with that...now Rem, from what I’m hearing, you’re Misa’s ally, correct?”

Rem glanced at Misa, “yes, I suppose you could say it like that. I definitely don’t want her to suffer.”

Light smirked a little, “so, if Misa’s happy, then you will also be happy, is this also correct?”

“Yes,” was the shinigami’s short reply.

“Alright...well, as you know,” Light paused a moment to grab Misa’s hand, “me being happy will make Misa happy. So if you want Misa to be happy, then it stands to reason that I have to be happy first. What will make me happy is Misa being my girlfriend’s friend. With L hot on our trail, we need to be cautious. We can’t act suspicious, and Keiko will be suspicious of us if we don’t gain her trust. If she’s suspicious, then she will go straight to L...that’s why Misa can’t mess this up for us, do you understand?”

“Yes, I do,” Rem sighed deeply, “but Misa said very explicitly that she doesn’t like the idea of being this girl’s friend.”

“I-I guess, if it’s for Light-kun, I can do it,” Misa murmured, staring up at Light. Light suspected that his decision to hold her hand had something to do with her sudden change of heart. 

“Thank you, Misa-chan,” Light replied. He looked back over at Rem, “now, Rem, Misa-chan only has to play nice with my girlfriend until I know for sure that neither she or L will suspect us…it’s mainly L that I’m worried about, I know that if we play our cards right, we can gain Keiko’s trust pretty easily, after all, I’ve managed to fool her for so long....so, on the off chance that I can’t convince L of my innocence and he ends up suspecting even more that I’m Kira and that Misa is the Second Kira…no, even if he doesn’t suspect us, the sooner he’s gone, the better...so can I ask a favor of you?”

“What is it?” Rem asked, casting a weary glance at Light. 

_ I have to make Rem an offer she can’t refuse…something believable. _

“If it came down to it, could I ask you to kill L? After all, killing him would make me happy, and by extension, it would make Misa happy. If you kill L, then perhaps I could even break up with Keiko-chan, meaning Misa-chan and I could also be happy together as boyfriend and girlfriend.”

He heard Ryuk laughing, “well, well, what an interesting development...so what’ll it be?”

Rem glanced over at Misa, who was giving her puppy dog eyes, “please, Rem? If you do it, then there’s a chance I could be Light’s girlfriend, that would make me that happiest person in the whole world! I’d be forever grateful to you!”

Almost a minute had passed, and Rem was still silent. Light dropped Misa’s hand, causing the girl to unhappily pout. He was about to speak again when Rem interrupted him.

“Fine,” Rem spat out, “as you wish Light Yagami, but understand this; I do not like you. This will not kill me even if it ends up lengthening your life. I will kill L for you...it really makes no difference, after all, he’s just another human to me.”

“Hooray!” Misa shouted, and she ran over to hug Rem, “thank you, thank you so much! I knew I could count on you!”

Light was also happy, because now, after all this time, he had a plan that could get rid of L once and for all. 

 

Keiko’s POV:

Keiko sighed in frustration, slamming her criminology textbook shut. It was unlike her to be having trouble with schoolwork, but with the investigation looming over her head, she found that it was getting increasingly harder to focus. All of her thoughts wandered over to the Kira investigation rather than her class material. To be fair, it was hard to read through textbook examples when she had the real thing right in front of her. 

That, and there was the fact that she was starting to really miss her father. She was certain that, if he was still alive, he would have definitely been working alongside L to help solve the Kira case. Perhaps, with him alive, the task force would have been further along with their investigation. After all, he had been pretty damn good at what he did.

_ Dad, I will make you proud, I promise. Even though you aren’t with me here in person, you’re with me in spirit… _

Keiko smiled to herself, and made a mental note to visit her father’s grave sometime within the next couple weeks. As she stood up from her desk and walked towards her bed, her phone vibrated in her pocket. She fished it out, seeing she had a new text message from Light’s little sister, Sayu.  

 

To: Keiko Kagami

From: Sayu-chan:3

_ Hey, Keiko-chan! It’s Sayu. I was wondering if you had a moment, there’s something important I wanted to talk to you about. _

 

Keiko’s eyebrows furrowed, Light’s sister usually only ever texted her to fangirl over a celebrity, or to ask her for help with her homework. It was quite out of the ordinary for her to text Keiko like this. 

_ This must be pretty serious, _ Keiko thought.

 

To: Sayu-chan:3

From: Keiko Kagami

_ Oh, sure, I have a moment. What’s up, Sayu-chan? _

 

Keiko sat down on her bed, waiting for Sayu’s response. She didn’t have to wait long; less than a minute later, she got it. 

 

To: Keiko Kagami

From: Sayu-chan:3

_ I wanted to talk to you about Light-kun. It might just be nothing, but I thought I should tell you that Light’s had a girl come over twice this week. He told me he’s tutoring her, but he’s never brought home a female student he’s tutoring before...did he mention anything to you about this? _

 

Keiko bit her lip, thinking about the best way to respond. No, Light hadn’t mentioned anything to her, but she trusted him. Anyway, Light tutoring someone wasn’t out of the ordinary, boy or girl. Even in university, their classmates specifically sought Light out for help. 

 

To: Sayu-chan:3

From: Keiko Kagami

_ No, your brother didn’t mention anything to me...but to be fair, we’ve both been pretty busy lately. I trust Light-kun, so should you. Have faith in your older brother.  _

 

To: Keiko Kagami

From: Sayu-chan:3

_ Well, to be honest, it’s not really Light I’m worried about, but the girl he’s tutoring, what if she tries to seduce him? _

 

Keiko paused for a moment, considering. She didn’t think that Light would be the type to cheat on her, not even if the girl made a move on him first. After all, he wasn’t like her ex boyfriend, he wasn’t like Daicho. Keiko was sure, as long as Light wasn’t actually Kira, he wouldn’t be capable of breaking her heart. 

 

To: Sayu-chan:3

From: Keiko Kagami

_ Even if that happens, don’t worry. Light’s loyal to me.  _

 

To: Keiko Kagami

From: Sayu-chan:3

_ I suppose you’re right, Keiko-chan...well it’s getting late, so I should go to bed. Goodnight! If anything else happens, I’ll keep you posted. _

 

Keiko typed up a goodnight message to Light’s little sister, and then dropped her phone on her desk before heading back to lie down on her bed. All she wanted to do was turn off her mind for a moment and sleep. 


	20. Chapter Twenty: Friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a fanfiction, please pardon the foolishness. Some of you might (will) be disappointed with Keiko in this chapter, but as always there’s more coming and everything is happening for a reason...so don’t worry ;D Anyway, enjoy!

Keiko’s POV:

“I have to admit,” Keiko said, peering over her shoulder at the blonde haired girl, “I didn’t expect that you were going to call me to hang out with you one on one like this.”

_ Not only that I didn’t expect it, I didn’t even want to see your face ever again...ugh, why am I so dumb? I can’t believe that I got myself stuck in this situation, now I’ll be trapped with her for who knows how long while she shops.  _

Keiko hadn’t expected that she would willingly agree to spend her free day with Misa Amane. In her defense, Keiko had only agreed to see Misa because she was too caught off guard to say no when she had reached out to her the other day, which lead her to be in her current situation. The two were walking together in the middle of a well known shopping district, passing by all sorts of fancy stores and street vendors. 

“Oh really? Why not, Keiko-chan?” Misa replied, she had stopped in the middle of the sidewalk to inspect a short, gothic styled black dress just like the one she was already wearing that was hanging up in a store window. 

_ She clearly already owns a lot of outfits like that, is she seriously thinking about buying another one? Amazing…I can’t believe it, what kind of budget does she have to buy clothes like that all of the time?  _

Keiko bit her lip, taking a moment to recollect her thoughts. Spending time thinking about Misa’s wardrobe would not be helpful in the situation at hand. 

She was trying to figure out the best way to go about saying what was on her mind, “uh...well, you see...the other day, you didn’t seem that interested in getting to know me. In fact, I could almost go as far as saying that I got the feeling you didn’t even like me, but my boyfriend on the other hand…”

_ Or rather, all you were interested in the other day was getting to know my boyfriend, and probably because I’m his girlfriend, you pretended like I didn’t even exist. Which was quite rude...also the fact that I don’t think we have anything in common with each other, unless you count an apparent shared interest in Light Yagami.  _

Misa waved her hand and flashed a smile at Keiko, “oh come on! What gave you that idea, silly?”

_ Oh come on now, is this girl serious right now? There’s no way she could be this stupid, she has to be just playing dumb with me on purpose, right? Ugh this is so frustrating!  _

Keiko scrutinized the girl, looking for any sort of malice in the other girl’s expression. When she found none, she sighed, getting even more annoyed.

_ What is this? I can’t believe it, she actually gave me a genuine smile this time...is this her attempt to start over with me? Or is she just playing dumb on purpose? Well, if she’s playing dumb then she’s putting on a good act. Usually there’s some sort of sign, a twitching of the fingers perhaps, but with her, there’s nothing. Not even a single hint of insincerity.  _

Keiko closed her eyes a moment, deep in thought. After a moment, she opened them again, looking over at Misa to see if she had missed anything. However, Misa was still standing there, an innocent look on her face. She truly looked clueless.

_ You’ve gotta be freaking kidding me! If this was just an act, then there’s no way she could have kept a straight face for this long...so she’s actually clueless, or she wants me to think that she is. Well, either way, if she’s going to try and be nice to me today, then I really can’t be rude to her, no matter how much I might want to be, no matter how much she might annoy me. I have to try and be the bigger person here...however, I can’t really answer her question without sounding a little rude. There’s just no avoiding that. After all, she was nothing but rude to me the other day, and I have to explain her behavior to her if I want things to change in the future.  _

Keiko tried her best to carefully phrase her response to Misa’s question, “well...I mean, let’s see...you...you didn’t really attempt to start a conversation with me the other day. Instead you sorta acted like I didn’t exist, focusing all of your attention on my boyfriend. I couldn’t even get a word in. I felt invisible.”

_ Great, now I sound like a bitter, jealous girlfriend...but in all honesty, that’s sorta what I am at this moment in time. It was pretty clear to me that Misa was into Light, no matter what she might try to say to me about that today. It usually doesn’t bother me this much...a lot of girls are into my boyfriend, but in this case, it’s different...because, you don’t go to lunch with someone and openly flirt with them while their girlfriend is also present! ...especially if you don’t even acknowledge said girlfriend’s existence! That’s awfully impolite, in girl language, it’s like begging for a war to break out. If she truly wants to start over with me, she can’t ever so something like that again. _

 

Misa’s POV:

_ Wow being nice to this girl sure is going to be hard! She keeps on calling Light her boyfriend! Well, I suppose she is, but that should be me next to him, not her! Ugh...just remember Misa, you’re doing this for Light...it’s all for him. Like he said, I just have to play nice with her until I make him fall for me...hopefully that won’t take too much longer.  _

Misa gave Keiko another one of her famous smiles, one she usually reserved specifically for her fans, to buy her a couple more seconds of time. She knew that she had to think of something believable to say to Light’s girlfriend, and fast. Even though she was a rather adept actress, her little clueless act couldn’t last forever. No matter how good she was at it, because her patience was threatening to wear thin, she had to think of something else.

_...I can’t slip up now! I have to make Light proud of me...no, I will make Light proud of me! This is all for him...ugh, the great lengths I have to go...well it’ll be well worth it in the end, when I myself become Light’s girlfriend. _

“Keiko-chan,” Misa started, she brushed a few loose strands of hair away from her face before suddenly bowing a little in Keiko’s direction, “I’m sorry I came across as being rude! I figured, since Light-kun was the one who invited me to eat with you two, that I should be extra attentive to him...I didn’t want him to think I was being ungrateful or anything.”

Misa glanced up, inspecting Keiko’s face, which was scrunched up in a deep concentration. It was quiet for a few seconds, and Misa thought that the anticipation was going to kill her.

_ Well, did she buy it? _

Light’s girlfriend swallowed hard before finally replying, “uh, apology accepted...I guess...that makes sense…but still, that doesn’t really explain why you wanted to hang out with me today? You barely even know me. I mean you could’ve the other day...if you had only tried...”

Misa sighed and straightened herself out.

_ To be honest, I would much rather just kill you here and now rather than hang out with you, that way I could have Light all to myself, but I can’t let you know that...so I have to think of something... _

“Okay…” she started, drawing a breath, “to be completely honest with you, I don’t have very many friends that are girls, so I never really know how to converse with them, which was also why I didn’t speak to you the other day. I’m just a lot more comfortable talking to boys. As far as today goes, I wanted to go shopping, but of course, I need a second opinion before I can buy anything, and I can’t invite a guy along, he’d be bored to tears. So I thought of you. I know I don’t know you that well, but hey, what better way to get to know a person than to go clothes shopping with them...that’s okay with you, right, Keiko-chan?”

_ I have to admit, that part about not having that many friends is actually is true...girls don’t like being my friend for some reason. But she can’t know that I love Light right now, I just have to make her think it was all just a misunderstand the other day. She can’t be suspicious of me, that would really ruin things.  _

 

Keiko’s POV:

Keiko carefully watched Misa’s face as she spoke, still looking for anything suspicious. However, she found nothing. While what she was saying was all coming out of left field, she had yet to find any ill intention behind her words. Of course, her not being suspicious could be suspicious on its own, but she figured that Misa was too thick to truly be a threat to her. The girl didn’t exactly come across as being an evil genius.

_ Ugh...to be honest, I really would rather not spend time with you, Misa Amane, especially since you were so rude to me before...however, since you are being completely honest with me, and it appears that you mean well this time, I suppose I should give you a second chance...even though we don’t even have a compatible fashion sense... _

“Uhhh,” Keiko awkwardly started, “in that case, I guess that’s alright. However...” she trailed off, looking Misa straight in the eyes, to let her know she meant business.

_ But, there’s still one more thing before we hang out…whether she realizes it or not, she’s interested in Light. However, Light and I are boyfriend and girlfriend, and if this girl truly wants to be my friend, then she will just have to accept that...I can be forgiving, but there’s only so much I can take. So I have to get that point across to her... _

“What is it, Keiko-chan?” Misa asked, giving her a wide eyed look, “what’s on your mind?”

Keiko stepped closer to Misa until the two were only a couple feet away from each other. 

“I realize I will sound a little bitter, so I’m sorry in advance…” Keiko flashed an apologetic look towards Misa, “but honestly I was a little uncomfortable with how much attention you were giving my boyfriend the other day...you see, I really like Light-kun. I had a pretty bad impression of you the first time we met because I thought that you were into him…of course, with what you told me now, I realize you were just trying to be friendly...however, now that you know that it bothered me, I know that you won’t do it again.”

_ There, perfect. Subtle, but still forceful. In other words, it gets the point across while still being diplomatic.  _

Feeling rather powerful, Keiko continued on, “after all, this is a fresh start for us...I wouldn’t want anything to ruin that…”

Keiko gave Misa a friendly smile, leaning her arm up against the wall of the building beside her.

“R-right, a fresh start,” Misa repeated, looking over at Keiko with an unreadable expression on her face, “so that means there’s a lot more to come...heheh.”

Her tone was friendly, but a sudden chill washed over Keiko as Misa spoke. Perhaps it was just because the wind happened to be picking up, but it made Keiko waver a little bit, taking the little bit of power she still felt along with it.

_ Did I just make the right decision to start things over with Misa? Or should I never have given her a second chance…? _

 

L’s POV:

L took a bite of his cake, thinking over the report that Mogi had given him earlier,  _ hmm...what’s this? According to Mogi, another girl entered the picture…while it was just a chance meeting, them running into each other, I still cannot overlook it. I can’t overlook anything currently happening in Light Yagami’s life, especially not an event like this.  _

He shifted slightly in his chair, closing his eyes in hopes that he would be able to think more clearly.

_ After all, despite how nice Light Yagami may be, why would he bother to invite a girl he just met to lunch with him and his girlfriend? Or invite her over to his house the following evening? I suppose it could have just been a distraction...or perhaps it was just an innocent lunch, followed by an innocent evening of hanging out together...but still, it’s suspicious…I suppose that Light could be cheating on Kagami-san with this other girl they met, that could make sense, but it doesn’t seem to fit Light’s personality. With Light’s personality, it’s more likely that he’d be Kira. in fact, that is what makes the most sense. So, if Light is Kira, then there is a very high possibility that girl is the Second Kira. Either way, it would make sense as to why Light would want this girl to be friends with his girlfriend...that way, whether Light is truly Kira, or cheating on her for this girl, she wouldn’t suspect them. _

“Yagami-san,” L opened his eyes and lazily glanced over at Light’s father, “if I die within the next few days...then please know that means your son is Kira.”

Mr. Yagami angrily stood up from his chair, his hand balled up in a fist by his side. His nostrils flared, and he shot an accusatory look at the detective.

“W-what did you just say, Ryuzaki-san?!” he demanded, Light’s father was turning redder by the second, and there was a vein threatening to pop in his forehead. It was clear that he was trying hard to hold back. 

“Yeah, that’s what I wanna know too!” Matsuda chimed in, also standing up, “what are you even talking about?! So this means, after all this time, you still suspect him?!”

L took another bite of his cake before calmly continuing on, “honestly? Yes. There is still a chance in my eyes that your son, Kagami-san’s boyfriend, is Kira. So, that being said, if anything happens to me, I’ve asked Watari-san to make himself available to you. If that were to happen, I’d be counting on you to continue with the investigation by arresting your son, no matter how hard that might be for you.”

“Ryuzaki-san! D-don’t you dare even talk like that!” Mr. Yagami took a couple steps forward, making it so he was face to face with the detective, “you said before that Light was pretty much cleared of suspicion, and now all of a sudden you’re telling me this?! You must know how frustrating this is to me...and I just want the truth from you...honestly, how much do you still suspect my son?!”

L gave a slight laugh as he looked up at the Chief Yagami, “you want me to tell the truth...well, the truth is, I don’t even know what to think anymore,” he admitted. 

He gave a deep sigh before continuing on, “I have never been in a situation like this before. If Kira and the Second Kira are working together right now, then things aren’t looking too good for me. In other words, I would be in big trouble...given that, I might not be thinking as clearly as I normally do, so I could be wrong...maybe I still consider him a suspect simply because we don’t have anyone else...but still, if I do happen to die soon, please assume that your son is Kira. At that point, that would be the most logical explanation.”

_ I have to admit, even though I would love to be right about this, a small part of me doesn’t want Light to be Kira. After all, I suppose I sort of consider him a friend now. And it would be upsetting to have a mass murderer as a friend...however, him being Kira is the only thing that makes the most sense to me... _

L rested his head on his knees, watching the rest of the Task Force as his words sank in. Light’s father had retreated back to his original seat, but he was still visibly upset. 

_ On the off chance that I am right, and Light Yagami is Kira...how far would be he be willing to go in order to achieve his ideal world? I know that Kira wants to get rid of me because I am the biggest threat to him right now, but once I’m gone...what will happen to everyone else who is investigating him? Will he leave them be, because the rest of the Task Force all suspect he’s innocent? Or, would he go so far as to kill his own father, or his girlfriend, if it came down to that? Light would never be able to do that, but Kira would without even batting an eyelash. So which one is he? Hopefully I can figure that out before I die...in the meantime, I have no choice but to make a sneak attack...it can’t be helped. After all, this is all just a wager now.  _

 

_ /timeskip/ _

 

Light’s POV:

Up until he spotted a certain detective sitting in that odd way of his on the bench, with his knees drawn up against his chest and nose stuck in a book, Light had been having a good day. 

After all, he had every reason up until that point to celebrate because it looked like Misa had successfully started gaining his girlfriend’s friendship. The two went clothes shopping the other day, and today, rather than spending her free time after classes with Light, Keiko had informed him that she had made plans with Misa to grab coffee together. 

That and the fact that he would soon be able to get rid of the infamous L once and for all. With Kira and the Second Kira finally teaming up together, L was essentially toast just waiting to get burned.

However, when Light saw L, his blood ran cold and his good mood was gone. He knew that nothing good was about to come out of this interaction, he could feel it in his bones. 

Light stopped dead in his tracks, inspecting L, his eyes becoming narrow slits. 

“Oh, hey, Light-kun!” L cheerfully called out, peering over the book he was holding, “how’s it going?!”

_ Dammit, you’re probably here to try and trick me into revealing myself, aren’t you? You want to catch me off guard...well, too bad for you I know what game you’re trying to play at. I know you want me to admit that I’m Kira, and that I’ve worked out a plan with the Second Kira to eliminate you...but it won’t work. I won’t crack that easily.  _

Light quickly changed his expression into one of concern as he walked over to the detective, eliminating the space between the two of them, “Ryuga, is it really okay for you to be here like this? Didn’t you say that you were afraid to appear out in public?”

“I did,” the detective admitted, setting down the book next to him, “but I realized...as long as you’re not Kira, I have nothing to worry about. I should be safe.”

He stopped a moment, motioning for Light to sit down. Seeing no other option, Light took a seat next to him. 

Now satisfied, L continued on, “you see, the fact is you and Kagami-san are the only ones here on the outside that know me as L. I already know for a fact that Keiko-chan isn’t Kira, and like I said, as long as you aren’t Kira, then I’m completely safe. However, in the unlikely event that I die within the next few days, I have instructed your father and everyone else at headquarters to assume that you are Kira.”

_ W-what? Damn him! I expected him to question me, another test of my abilities, not for him to tell me something like this! He’s deliberately cornered me so I can’t make any sudden moves! He’s distracting me from my goal of getting rid of him! _

Light fought to keep his face neutral, as he knew that L was carefully scrutinizing every move he made. 

“Besides,” L added, “as long as I don’t die, coming here would be worth it. To-Oh University is a pretty fun place to be, there are so many interesting people here...like you, Light-kun...and Keiko-chan...speaking of which, where is that girlfriend of yours? I thought you two were joined at the hip.”

Light chuckled, “very funny, Ryuga. I must say, you have quite the sense of humor...anyway, I’m afraid my girlfriend won’t be joining us. She’s out with a friend of hers.”

“Ah, so would this be Maki-chan or Akito-chan, her high school friends? I know she hasn’t seen either of them in ages…” L started, but then he smirked a little, looking straight into Light’s eyes. 

“Hmm...perhaps, could it be...she’s made a new friend recently? After all, people say that you meet lots of new people while studying away at university…” L’s thumb wandered near his mouth, and Light knew that the detective was still deliberately trying to make him slip up.

_ This confirms it, he already knows of Misa Amane’s existence...he knows that my girlfriend and I quite literally ran into her a few days ago, he maybe even knows that she was at my house that same evening. He certainly knows that Misa’s become Keiko’s friend recently. He’s trying to find reason to suspect that she could be the Second Kira...however, I won’t give him anything to work with. I’ve been very careful in concealing Misa’s true identity. I can’t throw that all away now.  _

Light considered his next words carefully, “well, now that you mention it...the other day, when Keiko-chan and I were out taking a walk, I happened to quite literally run into someone...considering she had her lunch box in her hands, I made quite the mess on the ground. So, to make up for spilling her lunch, my girlfriend and I invited her to eat lunch with us...that’s who Keiko-chan’s with right now, we bonded when we ate lunch together that day.”

“I see,” L commented, “well how...interesting, Light-kun...from what I recall, you aren’t normally that clumsy.”

“Well no I’m not. You’re right, Ryuga,” Light laughed a little, running a hand through his hair, “but I was a little distracted by my girlfriend at the time…”

“Hmm...well...I can see why, Kagami-san’s a very distracting person,” L smirked, looking over at Light with a glint in his eyes, “so I can’t blame you there.”

_ Dammit, a distracting person?! And just what does he mean by calling my girlfriend that?! It’s like he knows exactly what to say to piss me off.  _

Light could feel himself getting rather irritated with the detective. All he wanted was to give him some sort of sarcastic remark, maybe even slap him. 

Even though he still denied any feelings for Keiko, Light didn’t like the way that L was talking about his girlfriend. It was almost too much for him to handle. 

However, before Light had a chance to respond, L suddenly stood up. 

He flashed Light an innocent smile, acting like his little comment before hadn’t happened, which infuriated him even more,“anyway, since I’m here, would you like to play another game of tennis?”

Light forced a pleasant smile, “sure, Ryuga. That’d be fun...but be prepared to lose again.”

A chuckle escaped the detective’s mouth, “don’t be so arrogant, Light-kun…you never know, I could end up winning.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Light laughed a little, “I guess we’ll just have to see what happens.”

  
  



	21. Chapter Twenty-one: Fool

 

 

Light’s POV:

Almost a week had passed since L’s surprise appearance at the university. Light had been silently fuming almost that entire time. While he hadn’t planned on killing L right away, he did intend to dispose of him as soon as he was sure having Misa around wouldn’t cause any suspicion to his girlfriend or the rest of the Task Force, which would have been rather soon if his plan worked out.

However, L’s sudden sneak attack put a dent in his plans, now he would have to wait much longer to take action. Light at least had to wait until the Task Force forgot about L’s assertion about him, and who knew how long that would take. 

It could take weeks, or perhaps even months. There was no way he would be able to hold out for that long. Light wanted L to be gone as soon as possible. Therefore, he would have to try and come up with a way to distract the Task Force subtly. It also had to be something that wouldn’t attract any attention to himself in particular. He still had yet to figure out what that something should be, but he knew it would come to him soon enough.

On the other hand, while he had suffered a pretty major setback, he still had some reason, however small to celebrate. He had won one of the many battles he was fighting. By some miracle, Misa had officially gained his girlfriend’s trust. While the two were not close enough to be sharing state secrets, the two of them at least could label each other as friends. 

Well, at least Keiko now referred to Misa as one of her friends. It had taken Misa a shopping trip, two visits to a local coffee shop, and one visit to the movies first, but in the end, things worked out. Light had known that, as long as Misa seemed sincere, Keiko would crack and let her in.

Meanwhile, pesky Misa Amane still saw Keiko as an enemy, someone who was keeping her precious Light away from her. 

Misa made it rather clear to Light that she did not like Keiko Kagami. However, to Light, it didn’t matter if Misa loved or hated his girlfriend. He honestly couldn’t care less what Misa thought of her. All that mattered was Keiko’s opinion, as long as Keiko trusted Misa, there was no way she could suspect her of being the Second Kira. 

He just had to continue to be careful, and make sure that nothing he or Misa did would break that trust. Trust was a fragile thing, Light Yagami knew that. One small mistake could end up ruining everything. He had to ensure that no accidents would occur. 

Light sighed as he stepped outside, letting the light, gentle breeze greet him. He had figured that a nice, long walk might do him some good. It would be a good way for him to blow off some of the steam that had recently built up within him.

He expected that he would walk around the neighborhood a couple times, then perhaps stop and get some coffee at a local shop downtown. After all, it was a Saturday afternoon, he didn’t have any plans weighing him down. He had no Saturday classes, no visits planned to Task Force headquarters, and no plans with his girlfriend. 

Keiko had informed Light the previous evening that she was planning on spending her Saturday visiting her father’s grave. She explained that all of the stress of the investigation had taken quite a toll on her. Keiko admitted to Light that she tried not to think of her father too often, because it depressed her, because she felt like he was taken from her and her mother much too soon. 

She had looked up to him, she thought the world of him. In fact, the reason why Keiko decided on becoming a private investigator was because she wanted to follow in her father’s footsteps. After his death, her career choice also became a way for her to feel closer to him, despite the fact he was long gone. 

After listening to Keiko pour her heart out about her father over the phone the previous evening, Light thought he could safely assume that Keiko would spend almost all of her Saturday at her father's headstone. Also, as much as he hated to admit it, he almost wished that Keiko would have invited him to go with her. He wanted to ‘meet’ the man who had done so much in shaping who Keiko was today. 

To Light, Keiko Kagami was rather interesting. One couldn’t deny she was intelligent, after all she had only been one rank behind Light all those years in school, and she managed to score a hundred percent on To-Oh’s entrance exam. However, she had a bad habit of trusting people too easily, something that made her naive. After all, it didn’t take her very long to fall for him, despite the fact that he was the investigation’s number one Kira suspect. 

She trusted her boyfriend, which meant that she was blindingly trusting Kira. It also hadn’t taken her long to accept Misa as a friend, even though she originally disliked the girl, which meant that she was also blindingly trusting the Second Kira. 

_ It’s a shame, because if I were living an ordinary life as a college student, Keiko Kagami would have most definitely been my ideal girl. But now, it’s almost like a game...no, actually, it’s more like she’s a puppet on my strings. And I can’t afford to fall in love with her, no matter what, no matter how my heart pangs whenever she’s around. I must ignore that...I can’t afford to have any weaknesses…anyway, she’s such a fool, heh. To think, she’s so smart, yet unbeknownst to her, her boyfriend is Kira. The one person she’s working with L and the rest of the Task force to catch. The god of a new world. Me.  _

Light let out a small chuckle as he headed towards the edge of his neighborhood, deep in thought. He had expected that he would have the whole Saturday to himself, without any other distractions to somehow bother him. He was ready for some well deserved peace and quiet, ready to be lost in his thoughts. 

What he certainly didn’t expect was to suddenly be bombarded by a certain blonde haired model, who appeared out of thin air and unashamedly attached herself to his right arm. 

“Light-kun!” Misa Amane squealed in his ear, making Light stop dead in his tracks, “I have you all to myself today, don’t I?!”

 

Keiko’s POV:

It appeared that, for the moment, there were no new developments with the Kira investigation, which was a relief for Keiko. This meant that she was able to catch up on some much needed sleep. And for that, she was glad because, while dark circles seemed to work on L, on her they didn’t look so good. 

This also meant that she finally had time to meet up with her old high school friends as well. Due to the crazy demands of the investigation and her schoolwork, she hadn’t seen Maki or Akito in what felt like ages. She took the chance and met up with them the previous day. 

Keiko caught up with them, and when they asked whether or not she was still investigating the Kira case she didn’t lie, she said yes. However she left out the part about her being a part of the Task Force, or the fact that she had met L, figuring that while she felt she could tell them anything, some things were best left unsaid. She hadn’t even told her mother that she was investigating with them, instead she told her that she had joined quite a few clubs at school, which were keeping her busy. That got her mother off her back as to why she was gone so often.

One thing she did tell her friends, though, was about her plan to surprise her boyfriend by asking him to accompany her the following day to her father’s grave. After all they had been dating for quite a few months now and she felt it was high time for Light to meet him. Besides, she hadn’t visited her father’s grave for a while, not since the beginning of her final year of high school. That had been before the Kira investigation even started, before she got into To-Oh University, before she had started dating Light Yagami. 

Keiko really missed her father. He had always been the picture of health, but the diagnosis had snuck up on him. Terminal cancer had a way of doing that, and by the time the doctors had caught it, it had been far too late. They could only do so much for him before the inevitable occured. 

While going to visit her father’s grave was hard, because he had been taken away from her and her mother far too early, she felt she had to do it. She had to do it to stay as close as she could to him, and to make sure her father stayed updated on her life. 

What better way to keep her father informed than to introduce her current boyfriend to him? Keiko was set on having Light coming with her, and she figured that he wouldn’t refuse. While it was clear that Light never wanted to make her uncomfortable by bringing up her father with her, she knew that he was still rather curious about him, especially because he influenced her to follow in his footsteps. 

_ “So I’m going to call my boyfriend tonight, and tell him that I’m planning on visiting my father’s grave tomorrow, but what he won’t know is that I want him to come with me. Then I’ll unexpectedly drop by tomorrow at his house before I head off to the cemetery...it’s perfect, don’t you two think?” Keiko had smiled as she spilled her plans for Light and her father to her friends. She had hoped that they would be supportive of her decision. After all, they both had gone with Keiko in the past to visit her father themselves.  _

_ “So, wait, you know for sure Light-kun won’t be busy, right?” Akito had asked her, her round eyes were filled with concern, “I mean I don’t want you to go all the way to his house to pick him up tomorrow only to discover that he already made plans.” _

_ “Don’t worry,” Keiko had assured her best friend, “he told me that he didn’t have anything going on tomorrow.  So everything should be good...do you think he’ll want to go? Do you think he’ll say yes?” _

_ “He’d better,” Maki responded, a protective glint in her eyes, “but seriously, if Light Yagami truly cares about you, he will. And if not, well, then I guess it’s time to break up with him and move on with your life!” _

_ “Maki-chan!” Akito had chided, snapping her attention over to where Maki was sitting, “don’t be so harsh!” _

_ “I’m just saying,” Maki crossed her arms defensively across her chest, “if golden boy is really the one for Kagami-san then he won’t have a problem with accompanying her to visit her father. It’s that simple.” _

_ “If you say it that way...then I guess you’re right,” Akito responded, and she looked over at Keiko, “but...don’t worry, I think he’ll say yes.” _

_ Keiko smiled and nodded at her two best friends, they had just given her all of the support she needed in order to go through with her secret plan.  _

So there Keiko was the following day, heading down the all too familiar streets toward her boyfriend’s house, excitement coursing through her veins. For the first time in over a year, she was going to visit her father, and her boyfriend would finally have a chance to properly get to know him. 

 

Light’s POV:

“Light-kun!” Misa had repeated when she noticed the sandy haired guy still hadn’t responded to her, “hellooo? Is anyone home?”

Light grabbed the offending arm, and pushed Misa away from him, a cold expression on his face, “what’re you doing here? I never asked for you to come over; we have no reason to see each other right now.”

Misa pouted, and latched onto his arm once more, “wah, don’t be so cold to me, Light-kun! It hurts!”

Light took a deep breath, “just answer the question, Misa-chan. Why are you here right now, when I never asked you to be? You do realize that someone from the Task Force could very well still be following me, right?! Or even you, for that matter...you know, I actually wouldn’t put it past them...”

“Oh, right...well don’t worry, we’re safe,” Misa gave Light a thumbs up, “I’m sure if there was someone following you or me, Rem would have found them and let me know by now...anyway, your girlfriend mentioned to me that she was visiting her father’s grave today...so I figured, with Kagami-san finally out of the picture, I could spend the day with you! Think about it, a day for just us, no meddling girlfriends! Doesn’t that sound wonderful, Light-kun?”

After hearing that no one had been following Misa, Light relaxed a little. Even he had to admit that he didn’t feel the glare of anyone’s eyes. Aside from a couple empty cars parked at his neighbor’s house, the neighborhood was pretty quiet.

However, he still didn’t want to waste the day by spending time with Misa. He would have to find a way to get rid of her somehow. 

_ But how…? I have to think of something, and fast...she’s already seriously getting on my nerves! After all, this was supposed to be a relaxing day for me.  _

He was broken away from his thoughts when he heard Misa’s voice ringing out in his ear once more, “ooh! Now that I think about it, we could finally go on a date together! Keiko-chan would never have to know! Ooh yay, today should be a lot of fun!”

_ I have to at least be civil with her, I can’t have her getting angry at me...however, I also have to be firm. _

“Misa-chan,” Light started, turning his head slightly to look at her, “as fun as that sounds, I’m afraid I can’t go on a date with you. After all, it doesn’t matter if Kagami-san won’t find out about it, it’s just not gentleman-like to cheat on a girl. 

Misa puffed her cheeks out, “oh, come on...don’t be so boring...don’t you know that being naughty can be rather fun?”

Light sighed, “I already told you; I have no intention to cheat on my girlfriend...however, I promise, if you can make me fall for you...I’ll go on all the dates you want.”

_ Heh, I’ll never fall for you...so this promise doesn’t mean anything...but you don’t have to know that...in fact, it’s better for both of us if you never found out.  _

Light had hoped that Misa would be pretty pleased with the promise he just made it, and he hoped that it would be enough of an incentive for her to buzz off. After all, he had gotten her to shut up that first night by giving her hope that he’d possibly fall for her. 

For one of the first times in his life, Light Yagami was wrong.

“Don’t you get it?!” Misa cried out. She had finally snapped, “I’m sick of waiting; I want you all to myself...why can’t the two of us just get together already?!”

She was starting to get rather loud. The last thing Light wanted to do was make a scene. He attempted to cover Misa’s mouth with his hand, but she released her grip on his other arm and pushed him away, continuing on, “the only person that’s really standing in the way of us being together isn’t Keiko-chan, but  L, isn’t it?! That’s why you refuse to break up with her, you don’t want to look suspicious to him… so can’t we just kill him right now? Just take Rem and I to where he is, we can take note of his name and eliminate him once and for all! That way, I can finally be free to make you fall for me and be your girlfriend!”

Finally out of breath, Misa stopped, and looked over at Light. His eyes were narrowed and he had an unreadable expression on his face.

“I’m afraid I just can’t do that,” he announced after a moment, “you see, L told the Task Force to assume that if he were to die soon, to assume that I am Kira...he knows that the original Kira and the Second Kira have made contact with each other, and he assumes that is only a matter of time until the two of them find a way to get rid of him. If he were to suddenly die, it’s a death sentence for me, and it would only be a matter of time until the Task Force started to suspect you of being the Second Kira, so you’d end up getting caught as well…”

Misa’s eyes widened, “wahh?! I thought you had me make that final video tape in order to ensure that L didn’t find out that the two Kiras had made contact with each other.”

Light shrugged, “it doesn’t matter what the purpose of that video tape was now...what matters now is figuring out a way to distract the rest of the Task Force and make them forget about L’s statement, so that when L actually dies, we would both be clear of suspicion.”

“I see,” Misa murmured. She bit her lip, in deep thought, “well...I don’t know how long it’ll take for us to get rid of L then...ugh this sucks! I have no choice but to wait…but, if I can’t be your girlfriend now, then can’t I at least get a kiss from you? After all, I worked so hard this past week to gain your girlfriend’s trust! I should be rewarded anyway, you owe me! So technically it wouldn’t be cheating!”

All of a sudden, a grin came across Misa’s face, and she leaned forwards, towards Light, “actually, you know what, I’m going to go for it, if that’s alright...after all, who wouldn’t want a kiss from a cute model?”

Light was about to shake his head no in refusal to her outrageous request, but before he even had a chance to properly respond, Misa wrapped her hands around his waist, pulling Light closer towards her. Soon, the two of them were face to face, only mere inches apart. Misa didn’t wait for him to react, she had only one goal in mind. So she took her chance, leaning forward and kissing him square on the lips. 

 

Keiko’s POV:

Keiko walked along the sidewalk, humming to herself as she got closer and closer to Light’s neighborhood. The closer she got, the more excited she felt. She was about to turn the corner, when the sound of voices made her pause.

_ I hear voices...wait a second, is that Misa? Oh god, I sure hope not...while she may have good intentions, it’s hard to be around her for an extended period of time without wanting to pull all of my hair out.  _

Keiko sighed, listening carefully. After a moment she was able to deduce that it was, in fact, Misa’s voice she was hearing. However, she couldn’t quite make out what was being said. 

_ Great, it’s her…even though I know she hates being left of of plans, but she definitely isn’t invited to come along with Light and I. We aren’t that close yet. I’ll just say hi to her, then explain to Light that we have to get going. _

“Alright, let’s go,” Keiko murmured. She closed her eyes, and turned the corner, entering her boyfriend’s neighborhood. 

Keiko opened her eyes, searching for her friend and her boyfriend. However, when she finally spotted them, standing in front of Light’s house, she wished she had kept her eyes closed. 

She wished that she had never met Light Yagami. She wished that she had gotten tangled up with him, never ran into him at that convenience store, never kissed him in front of her ex boyfriend, never agreed to go on a date with him. 

Why? Because there Light Yagami was, standing not too far away away from her, his lips suctioned to Misa Amane’s lips. The two were entangled together, as her new supposed friend had her arms wrapped around his waist. When Keiko saw Light’s hands reach upwards towards Misa’s chest, her stomach churned and she thought she was going to be sick for a moment.

_ I can’t take any more of this! _

Keiko turned away, and started running in the opposite direction. She wanted to get as far away from them as was humanly possible. She could feel the tears forming in her eyes, and her heart was pounding wildly in her chest. Keiko felt as though her heart was being torn into a million pieces, and said pieces were now taking individual turns deeply stabbing her. 

_ First Daicho cheated on me...now Light...how could I be so dumb? Fool me once, shame on you...fool me twice, shame on me...I should have seen this coming. _

She couldn’t believe how stupid she was. No matter what, she couldn’t erase that image from her mind. It haunted her as she ran away from the subdivision, away from the two of them, towards nowhere in particular. 

Keiko never even noticed that there had been another witness to Light and Misa’s kissing. She never noticed that she had an audience to all of her pain. Kanzo Mogi watched from his secret car hideout as the girl sprinted away from Light’s neighborhood, away from her problems.

 

Light’s POV:

_ Dammit, when I asked for a distraction, this wasn’t what I had in mind!  _

Light’s hands went towards Misa’s chest, however it wasn’t in an attempt to touch her sensually, but rather, it was an attempt to push the girl as far away from him as possible. However, it appeared that wasn’t necessary because, a few seconds later, Misa pulled away on her own. There was a stupid grin now playing out on her face.

“Thanks for the kiss, Light-kun. I now have the power to continue on,” she purred out flirtatiously, giggling a little. 

“What do you mean kiss?” Light snapped. His eyes narrowed as he crossed his arms out in front of his chest, “that was more like sexual assault, you forced yourself on me!”

_ She’s lucky she’s under Rem’s protection...otherwise she would have been long gone by now, shinigami eyes or not! She’s just way too much to handle... _

Misa pouted, “aww, but didn’t you enjoy it? Wait a second...are you trying to tell me I’m a bad kisser?!”

Light struggled to keep himself composed, she was seriously getting on his last nerve. However, he couldn’t risk yelling at her or else it’d make a scene. The last thing he wanted to do was to draw attention to the two of them. He couldn’t risk anything like that happening now, not with L’s watchful eyes. He was very lucky at the moment that it appeared no one had been following them.

“Amane-san,” he coldly started. His eyes were narrowed at the blonde haired girl in front of him, “don’t. You. Ever. Do. That. Again. You hear me? I thought I made it very clear earlier that I do not tolerate cheating and that I had no intention to cheat on my girlfriend. If you want to make me fall for you, this isn’t the way to do it. If anything, you’re making me never want to be around you again…”

“I-I’m sorry,” Misa stuttered out, unable to look him in the eyes.

Light sighed, “if you’re sorry, then show it. As I said, don’t ever do this again. You’re extremely lucky that no one followed you today...if someone from the Task Force or my girlfriend were to find out, all hell would break loose. I’m sure that there’s no way that L would be able to overlook my relationship to you then…ugh, dammit! Why can’t you understand that you can’t just do things like this? We can’t afford to be this reckless. That’s how people get caught!”

“Don’t worry,” Misa responded. “I promise I’ll be good and I won’t do it again! But you have to know...not being your girlfriend is killing me! Can’t we at least just hang out together more? That way I’ll be satisfied,” she whined.

“Only if you’re good. As I said, don’t you ever do something like that again,” Light cooly replied, “now, please go away...all I wanted was to go for a peaceful, undisturbed walk…”

_ And with you around, that goal is entirely unachievable...if one small thing goes wrong, it’ll be all over. If someone had been watching, things really would’ve been all over. She’s very lucky that no one caught us, otherwise there’d be hell to pay... _

  
  
  



	22. Chapter Twenty-two: Cost

 

 

Keiko’s POV

After a while of running, Keiko was very much out of breath. She swore that she had never ran that far before in her entire life. All she had been thinking that entire time was that she had to get away from the situation at hand. She felt like she had to escape, so she did, letting her feet take her far away from her cheating friend and cheating boyfriend.

Knowing she wouldn’t be able to run any farther, Keiko finally stopped, attempting to catch her breath. She glanced around her, taking a moment to soak up her surroundings. When she spotted the cherry blossom trees swaying about in the wind beside her, she knew exactly where she had ended up.

Much to Keiko’s dismay, without even realizing it, she had ended up in the nature park where Light had first asked her out.

 _Wonderful...my subconsciousness must hate me_ , she thought bitterly, tears threatening her eyes once more, _why else would my feet lead me here?_

It also dawned on her that her body now felt fairly sore. In fact, her legs and feet were crying, begging her to rest. Keiko sighed, now realizing the situation she was in. It wasn’t like she particularly wanted to stay in the park any longer, surrounded by the memories of a much better time, but she didn’t have the stamina necessary at that moment to move.

Seeing no other option, she gave in and sat down on one of the benches. Keiko purposely picked a bench that she knew she hadn’t sat on with Light while on a date before, sniffling pitifully as she did so.

Keiko sat there to rest for a while, watching the trees dance about in the wind. She supposed that if she hadn’t witnessed her boyfriend kissing another girl, she would have thought that the trees looked rather beautiful. However, at that moment in time, the trees almost looked like they were taunting her, laughing at the predicament that she was currently in.

Keiko ran a hand through her hair, feeling just how mussed up it had gotten when she sprinted towards the park. She thought back to the last time she had sat with Light while at the park, recalling the comment that her boyfriend had made that day about the cherry blossoms being in full bloom.

_“Well, of course...but I was just thinking. You see, I feel that it’s a little unfair that the cherry blossoms are never in full bloom for long. They spend all that time preparing, but when they finally turn into something great, it’s soon taken away from them...it’s quite a shame, especially because people care the most about them when they’re in full bloom.”_

She bit her lip, deep in thought. While she had soon dismissed his comment back then, looking back on it made it sound more ominous. There was no way that Light could have predicted the future, predicted that he would have cheated on her with Misa Amane only a little while later. However, the fact that Keiko could relate his comment to the current situation felt rather unsettling to her.

_Was our whole relationship sort of like the lifespan of a cherry blossom? Being classmates for years, we had a rather slow build up. It actually all sort of started with running into him at that convenience store months ago, and from there the situation with my ex, and our first almost date...we dated for a long time before we officially became a couple. I was starting to fall for him, slowly but surely. It was a long process, and even after we became a couple, it took awhile for me to fully fall for him. In fact, it wasn’t until pretty recently that I could say I totally fell for him, that our relationship finally hit full bloom. I knew that he could feel it too...and after that...well._

She bitterly kicked an innocent rock that had been sitting nearby her foot, and watched as it took off into the air, landing a few feet away.

_After that, it didn’t take very long for things to go downhill…it all started when the two of us first met Misa…ugh she had been openly flirting with Light from the start...how could I have been so stupid as to give her a second chance and trust her? I should have went along with my gut feeling, my intuition. I had a bad feeling about her from the beginning, and I didn’t listen...instead I let her willingly take my boyfriend away from me._

Keiko hung her head and she couldn’t stop the tears as they flowed down her face.

_Somehow, even though Daicho personally introduced me to the girl he was cheating on me for months with, this hurts way, way more. Light and I just recently met Misa...and for him to fall for her this fast, to let her in, to kiss her…_

Keiko shivered as she suddenly heard a tree branch snap in the wind, which had gotten stronger, and watched as it hit the ground around her.

_Great...the trees must have been listening in on us back then...that’s why they’re judging me so much now...how pathetic I must look to them…it’s sad when even trees have more foresight than I do. Wait, what am I doing? Why am I talking about the cherry blossom trees so much like this? I must be crazy…_

Through her tears, Keiko fought a laugh as she realized how insane she must have looked to the passerbyers around her. She resolved to get up and just head home, to the comforts of her bedroom.

Keiko no longer had the strength at the moment to visit her father’s grave. In fact, she didn’t feel like she had the strength at the moment to do much of anything. All of her excitement, all of her motivation had left her the moment she had seen Misa and Light together.

 

L’s POV:

“Thank you for all your hard work so far,” L said to Mogi after he had given him another report on Light, “you’ve been quite helpful...”

“Yes, and I realized that there was no way I could openly hide outside in the neighborhood, so I was extra careful and parked a car nearby...one of Light’s neighbors had a couple people over, it didn’t look weird for an extra car to be there...so I wouldn’t worry about being caught either,” Mogi replied, eyeing the detective. “I was absolutely cautious and careful.”

“Wonderful,” L smirked, “anyway, if Light had noticed, I doubt the events that took place earlier this afternoon would have actually occurred. He’s far too careful, this had to have caught him off guard. However, from his behavior afterwards, he thinks the coast was still clear. I was waiting for something like this to happen...I knew it wouldn’t take very long. After all, this past week things were a little too quiet…”

Mogi shifted in his spot on the couch, it was clear to L that he was feeling a little uncomfortable, “with all due respect, Ryuzaki-san, what do you mean by that? Are you saying that you had a feeling that Light would cheat on Kagami-san?”

L raised his thumb to his lip thoughtfully, “well, not cheating in particular, though there was a small possibility of that happening in my mind. I just had a feeling that somehow Light and Misa Amane would make public contact with each other again…”

“Right...I see,” Mogi sighed, repositioning himself once again, and L could sense the moral dilemma that was about to come.

“Ryuzaki-san, don’t you think…” he started, “that I should tell Kagami-san I saw what happened as well...perhaps I should leave out the fact that I saw her...as she witnessed it, and watched her as she ran away but...still, just let her know? It doesn’t feel right keeping that a secret from her, it’ll just eat away at me…and what about Light’s father, for that matter? Shouldn’t he know that his own son is a cheater? That he cheated on Kagami-san? While I don’t want him blaming himself for the way his son turned out, I feel like...given the fact that he is working closely on this investigation with his son and his son’s girlfriend, it would be even more awkward if he was unaware of the situation. This isn’t something he should be kept in the dark about.”

L shook his head, “no, I’m afraid you can’t tell anyone. No matter what, for the time being, this must remain a secret. I understand that you are experiencing emotional turmoil over this, but please, brush that aside for the moment. I do not want to make any sudden moves...let’s just see how things play out over the course of the next few days first. Please continue to keep an eye on Light, and report to me if anything else this...interesting...occurs.”

Mogi’s fists were balled up, and L could tell that the policemen was rather irritated with the cold manner in which he had responded. However, Mogi didn’t say another word.

Knowing that the conversation was over, Mogi just quietly stood up and exited the hotel room, leaving the detective alone with his thoughts.

 _Have patience, Mogi, patience,_ the detective thought to himself. _All will be revealed soon enough...and anyway, I knew that it was only a matter of time before something of interest happened...this past week was quiet, far too quiet._

While criminals were still steadily being killed off, there hadn’t been any new evidence that could link Light Yagami to being Kira, and the girl, Misa Amane, to being the Second Kira. That was, up until Mogi reported to him, there had been nothing.

L’s eyes had gone wide when he first heard the news, but he then held a sudden smirk on his face as Mogi had continued on. To L, it was his equivalent of Christmas.

_While I suspected from the very beginning that there was a chance Misa Amane was the Second Kira, I had no evidence. Of course, Light cheating on Keiko with Misa still isn’t quite evidence, but it was enough for my suspicion of her to grow to about 30% from the original 18%. After all, Light had only known Misa for a very brief time before he cheated with her. She almost appeared out of nowhere, and the way that they met, the way that Light just had to repay her for knocking over her lunch box…_

L’s eyes closed, he was deep in thought.

_It’s almost as if it was planned. Planned so that neither Keiko nor I would be able to suspect them...which means, if Light is in fact Kira, and Misa is the Second Kira, then the two of them had to have been in contact for at least a few days before then. This also makes sense because when the three of them were bonding and eating lunch together, that was when we got the final message from the Second Kira. That message had to have been planned by the two of them, and planned that it would arrive while they were eating. The three of them eating lunch together out in public...Light and Misa probably thought that it would be the perfect alibi for them._

While he knew that he could have come to that conclusion only because Light was the only person he strongly suspected of being Kira, L was certain that his logic was correct. However, L also knew that this sudden development, which was a large step forward in his investigation of Light, came at a rather heavy cost.

Keiko’s heart.

L knew that Keiko’s heart had to have been shattered into a million pieces. While at first she had been on her guard it became apparent that, the more she fell for Light Yagami, the more careless she got. Her feelings for Light had gotten in the way. Her feelings for Light had made her blind.

_While at headquarters, there were a few instances that Light was acting a little strange...I had rather hoped that Keiko also took notice...however, whenever I would look over for her reaction, it was clear to me that she just brushed it off. The more she fell, the more unwilling she became to believe that her boyfriend could actually be Kira. Whether she realized it or not, she stopped being cautious because the longer she was with him, the less notice she took of his suspicious behavior. In other words, if Light Yagami is Kira, the more she let him fool her._

Opening his eyes, he shifted in his chair, moving so that he could take a bite of the strawberry cake that Watari had laid out for him earlier.

_While Light cheating on Keiko for Misa doesn’t automatically mean he’s Kira, or that Misa is the Second Kira, given the circumstances, it does still strengthen my argument for it. However, the chance of Light cheating on Kagami-san with Misa Amane was quite slim, only 2-3%...it almost doesn’t make sense that it happened, even though it did. Why would Light cheat on Keiko with Misa? Misa isn’t the type of girl that Light Yagami is into._

L took a few more bites, finishing the pastry.

_Even though it’s possible that Light was only acting like he was interested in Keiko, she is still more of Light’s type than Misa is. And, from what I could tell, Light did seem at genuinely attracted to Keiko...to me, there are only a few reasons why that make sense. The first one being that Mogi misread the situation, and Light was an unwilling participant, after all he was in a car parked a little ways away at his neighbor’s house, in order to not be seen by Light. Or, if they really are Kira and the Second Kira, then perhaps the only way for Light to ensure that Misa would keep her mouth shut was to kiss her. That also is pretty probable, seeing how popular Light is with the ladies. The last one is the least probable to me, which is Light and Misa only kissed in the heat of the moment. Light doesn’t seem to let his emotions get to him, so I doubt that is likely..._

It didn’t quite matter what the true reason was for the two of them kissing, they all would have resulted with the same thing; Keiko getting hurt. It was obvious to L that Light had no idea she was on her way over to his house, so he could easily deduce that Keiko had been coming over to surprise him.

L’s lips slightly quivered as he thought about the irony of the situation.

_Keiko had been coming over to surprise Light, but...in the end, she was the one who ended up surprised….while I knew that there was only a slim chance of Light cheating on her, I knew that it would only be a matter of time before she somehow got hurt by him in some way. And now it’s finally happened...well, I can’t say that I didn’t warn her. She had it coming, she was too careless, too naive._

L pressed his thumb up against his mouth again. Even though he had known that Keiko would end up hurt, now that the time had actually come, he almost felt...sympathetic towards her in a way. That and perhaps a little but of concern. He also felt a little of what he identified as disgust or anger towards Light, for his part in hurting her. The detective supposed he was feeling this way because he considered Keiko to be his friend. If he considered that fact, then him feeling that way would only be a natural response for him.

However, he wasn’t used to having such emotions.

To him, being empathetic would be a waste. It only weakened people, it made them unable to think clearly. It would be useless anyway because there was no going back in time, no stopping what had happened. Besides, he couldn’t let his own personal emotions get in the way of the Kira investigation. So he just brushed his feelings aside, something he had grown quite used to doing his whole entire life. The facts would have to come first in the Kira case, not feelings, despite the slight pull he was feeling towards her.  

L thought’s traced back over to the investigation, he didn’t want to act just yet. He figured that he would give it two to three days, just to see if any new developments occurred. The detective was mostly waiting to see what Keiko would do in response to Light’s cheating.

_I have to admit, I’m quite curious as to what her response to this will be. After all, she had such strong feelings for Light Yagami. Will she confront him about it? If she does and he denies anything occurred, then will she break up with him? Her ex broke her heart by cheating on her so there’s a good chance she will break up with him, probably about 42%. However, if Light doesn’t deny the kiss happened and attempts to reason with her in any way, this percentage will decrease by a lot. After all, he does have a hold on her emotionally...and if he does this, there’s a chance she will cave in and stay with him...but if she doesn’t end things with him soon, then she’s an even bigger fool than I thought…but somehow, I feel like this could be the end of things._

He shifted in his chair a little.

_Oh...and on the slim off chance that Kagami-san doesn’t take any particular course of action after three days, I will intervene...I can’t let what happened go to waste. After all, it was like hitting a gold mine._

 

Keiko’s POV:

The first thing that Keiko had done when she arrived home that day was fling herself on her bed. She had exhausted herself from all that unexpected tears and exercise she had gotten throughout the course of the day. Sleep quickly overcame her and for a few blissful hours, she was sacked out on her comfortable mattress, dreaming that what happened today had just been an awful nightmare. That it didn’t happen, that Light didn’t cheat on her.

Unfortunately, the moment she woke up she became painfully aware of reality; her boyfriend had cheated on her. This got her heart aching and her tears flowing once more.

Light cheating on her hurt a hell of a lot more than Daicho cheating on her. If she had been a little more careful with Daicho, she would have noticed the signs, like the fact he had never brought her home with him to meet his family, like the fact that he didn’t spend too much time with her to begin with. There was also the fact that when he was with her, he never used her name, and opted for pet names instead. Looking back, Keiko realized it was only to ensure that he didn’t call Keiko by the wrong name.

However, Light was different. Light was sweet, caring, considerate. He had a way of making Keiko want more of him whenever she saw him, which was why she fell for him, why she had let her guard down. She had trusted Light.

There were none of the warning signs that she had found with Daicho. Light brought her home before they were officially even dating, and after they started dating, her visits to his house became even more frequent. Frequent enough that she was able to develop a good relationship with both his mother and his younger sister, Sayu. While Light had to spend a lot of time with her, because they were in the same classes, and working on the investigation together, the two of them seemed to hang out pretty often outside of those things. He had never even glanced at anyone else since the two of them became a couple. It had been pretty clear to Keiko that Light felt the same way she did, or so she thought.

Keiko never had any reason to suspect that he would cheat on her. Keiko concluded that it was all because of Misa Amane. Within the past few days, Misa somehow grabbed a hold of Light’s heart, that had to be it. She had been stupid enough to stand by, give her a second chance, and let it happen.

_I can’t believe I was such a fool...I let it happen right under my nose...after all, I knew from the very beginning that Misa was interested in Light...I just thought that she was harmless because I mistakenly thought there was no way Light would be interested in a girl like her. Well, that’s a mistake I won’t be making ever again._

Her phone suddenly vibrated, breaking her away from her thoughts. She reached towards her nightstand and grabbed it, noticing that she had texts from both Akito and Maki, but Sayu was the person that had most recently texted her.

Keiko ignored the texts from her friends, she knew that it was them asking how today went with Light, if he had said yes to visiting her father’s grave with her. She wasn’t ready to tell them that things didn’t work out quite how she expected them. That would mean explaining to them that Light Yagami had cheated on her, and there was no way she could easily type that, she was still unwilling to believe it herself.

Instead, she went straight for Sayu’s text, wondering what exactly Light’s little sister had to say. She wondered if perhaps she had also seen Misa and Light together.

_It’s a slim chance, because I think Sayu said she was going to be busy today, but still, it’s worth checking..._

 

To: Keiko Kagami

From: Sayu-chan:3

_Hi, Keiko-chan! It’s Sayu again…I hope your friends don’t mind me saying this, but when I ran into them earlier, they told me that you had plans to surprise Light-kun today. They also said that the two of you would probably be gone almost all day, but when I got home from shopping later in the evening, Light was home. He told me he hadn’t seen you at all when I asked. Did something urgent suddenly come up?_

 

Keiko’s lips slightly wavered as she read Sayu’s text and her eyes became blurry once more. Her heart slowly sank into her stomach.

_Yeah, something came up...no someone came up...Misa Amane…ugh, but there’s no way I could tell Sayu that. It’d break her heart to hear that her older brother cheated on me...I know she how much she looks up to him._

Keiko stared at the text a while, considering how best to respond her.

 

To: Sayu-chan:3

From: Keiko Kagami

_Yeah...something came up...but don’t worry, Sayu-chan..._

 

It was the best that Keiko was able to muster up. Although, she couldn’t help but feel hypocritical in telling her not to worry. Keiko sighed, trying to calm herself through her tears. She knew that crying now wasn’t going to help her.

Now that it had happened, there was nothing she could do to stop it. There was no going back in time and erasing her mistake to trust Misa. Anyway, she had to face the facts. If Light could throw away his relationship with her that easily, without batting an eyelash, then she had no choice. There was no other logical left option but to break up with him.

Keiko didn’t want to, even though Light had hurt her, but she knew she had to. It would hurt like hell, but it was like ripping off a band. The more you wait to pull it off, the stickier it gets, so it’s better to just rip it off in one fast, swift motion. She had learned that with Daicho. He had led her on for so long, but thinking back, she would have preferred if things ended quickly. She wouldn’t make that mistake twice.

Therefore, even though Keiko didn’t want to, she decided that it would be best to break up with Light as soon as possible. That way, she would hurt less in the long run.

Her phone vibrated once more.

 

To: Keiko Kagami

From: Sayu-chan:3

_Ah, I see...well, whatever happened, good luck! I know you’ll make it through~!_

 

When Keiko read Sayu’s response, she attempted a smile, but it turned out to look more sad than anything else. Poor Sayu was blissfully unaware that she was cheering Keiko on through her decision to break up with her older brother. However, even though she was unaware, Keiko was still rather touched.

 

To: Sayu-chan:3

From: Keiko Kagami

_Thank you, Sayu-chan...I appreciate it._

 

With that, Keiko placed her phone on her nightstand, and tried to push all thoughts of Misa Amane and Light Yagami together out of her head. All she wanted was to forget everything she had seen for a while.


	23. Chapter Twenty-three: Repercussions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this is posted so late! I usually try to post within 5-7 days but I honestly got so busy. I recently graduated from my community college (woot for an associate's degree) and I started a new job about a week ago, so I've just been trying to get into the swing of things and I haven't had a lot of free time. (gotta love retail) Again, sorry this is so late and I hope you enjoy! As always, comments (good or bad) are appreciated!

 

 

 

Light’s POV:

The next day, when Light stepped through the doors of the coffee shop, he noticed three things. First of all, he noticed that Keiko was already there, her thin legs crossed under the table, waiting patiently for her boyfriend to arrive. She had claimed a table for them near the front of the sitting area. He then noticed how beautiful that she looked as she sat there, with her long light brown hair flowing halfway down her back, but he quickly pushed that thought away. He couldn’t afford to think thoughts like that. The last thing he noticed was that his coffee was already sitting in front of the place she had saved for him to sit. 

_ Heh, she’s clearly well prepared for this...what’s going on?  _

When Light walked closer to where she was sitting, he noticed a fourth thing. Generally, Keiko always greeted him with that familiar, friendly but shy smile of hers. However, today it appeared that she couldn’t be bothered to muster more than a half smile that didn’t fully reach her eyes. Light studied his girlfriend real carefully, seeing that her eyes looked a lot more puffy than usual. It was clear that she had been crying, and he could see clearly how dejected she looked overall. He could sense that, despite the fact she had a coffee cup sitting right in front of her, she had a complete lack of energy.

Light could feel the panic as it quickly bubbled up inside of his stomach. His heart rate slightly increased as he sat across from his girlfriend. While it was tough, he fought for control over his nerves.

_ No way...she didn’t somehow hear about Misa kissing me, did she? If she did, then there’d be a huge problem. No... Light, don’t be stupid...there’s no way she knows. That’d be impossible. Misa swore up and down that no one had been following her, and I would have known if someone had been following me again. Besides, Keiko wasn’t even in town that day. You’re just being paranoid.  _

He relaxed a moment, now feeling slightly more in control over himself and with the current situation at hand. He searched the reaches of his mind for another explanation for her pained expression.

_ Hmm...now, wait a second, this has to be because of her father...she did tell me she was going to spend basically all day the other day visiting his grave site...she must be like this because yesterday was so hard for her to bear all alone, that’s the only reasonable explanation in this case. Keiko must really miss him. That makes sense because she looked up to him so much, after all, he’s the reason why she wanted to become a detective. That being said, there is clearly no connection with Misa and I. So there’s no reason for me to be panicked, I have done nothing wrong. _

Light cleared his throat, trying to think of a way to comfort his girlfriend. He told himself that it was because he needed to be a good boyfriend to her so that she continued to trust him and fully no longer suspect him of being Kira. He told himself it was also because, if she trusted him enough, she would never suspect that Misa Amane, the Second Kira, had kissed him the other day while she was out visiting her father’s gravesite. 

However, even though he wouldn’t admit it, it was also slightly because a part of him truly wanted to make her feel better. A part of him truly cared about Keiko and her emotions, but he fought hard to squash that part of him. To squash the part of him that would make him weak in the long run. 

“Keiko-chan,” he started, offering his girlfriend a small but gentle smile, “what’s a beautiful girl like you doing looking so sad? I can tell there’s a lot on your mind, so please, let me try and help you in whatever way I can.”

 

Keiko’s POV

In any other sort of situation, Keiko would have probably swooned at those words. At the moment, given the current standing of things, Light’s words only made Keiko’s stomach hurt and her heart pump faster...although the amount of sugar in her coffee probably also somewhat contributed. Even so, there was no amount of sugar that could hide how hurt she was feeling, how vulnerable she was at that moment in time. 

_ Really? Light Yagami wants to help me?! That’s quite laughable. Hasn’t he already done enough damage to my heart? If he had truly wanted to help me, he would have accompanied me to my father’s grave, not spent his afternoon sucking face with Misa Amane. He’s only trying to fool me...but now I know better, right? _

Keiko took a deep breath in an attempt to calm her breathing and stop her shaky hands from sweating. 

It was showtime, she had to at least try and keep herself looking cool and collected. When Daicho had broken up with her, she had been an embarrassing, blubbering mess. Keiko didn’t want history to repeat itself. The last thing she wanted to do was become a mess in front of Light. Her pride had already been hurt enough.

She was there for one purpose and one purpose only: to end her romantic relationship with Light Yagami once and for all. 

Keiko had also specifically chosen the same coffee shop Light took her to before he had asked her out to break up with him in, just to show that she meant business. To show him that even though she would still have to see him at Task Force headquarters later and investigate with him that she was strong. Or, at least, she wanted to appear strong, even though she knew he already figured out she had recently been crying her eyes out for some reason.  

“Light-kun, as you know I planned to visit my father’s grave yesterday,” she started, looking up to face her boyfriend. She could see his eyes crinkling in concern, and she fought hard to keep her voice level as she continued on, “you knew that simply because I told you beforehand I was planning on going...however, what you didn’t know was...I was also planning on surprising you by asking you to come with me to visit him. After all, I came to the conclusion that it was high time for you to finally meet him...but...my plans suddenly changed, and I didn’t go see my father like I had originally planned...”

Keiko gave an uncomfortable cough, and she felt as though she see the wheels in his head as they slowly started turning. She carefully studied her boyfriend’s face, if he was at all a little nervous about where she was heading with the conversation, he didn’t show it. After all, he probably supposed that there could have been a multitude of reasons why she didn’t go visit her father that had nothing to do with his cheating.

So, despite the fact that she had just trailed off, Light was silent, as if intent on listening to her say more. Keiko took that as he cue to keep on going.

“You see, the reason why I didn’t go to see my father was because...I...I...I...saw...y-youandMisak-kissingwhen...w-whenIwasonmywaytopickyouup…” she quickly rushed out all in one breath, and then she mentally cursed herself for momentarily losing control of the pacing of her words, “y-youcheated.”

_ Dammit, Keiko Kagami! Don’t show how vulnerable you’re feeling, that’ll make you look even more pathetic. At least act like you have some pride left in you, even though he tricked you...even though he cheated on you. _

At first, Light’s face scrunched up, and Keiko could tell that he was still trying to figure out what exactly she was talking about, but then the implication of her words suddenly dawned on him. She watched as all of the color drained from his face.

“Y-you see, I thought you should meet my father, so I was going to come over and surprise you...w-when I s-saw…” Keiko trailed off, she couldn’t bear to say the words out loud once more. 

Light quickly let out a deep breath in an attempt to regain some of his composure. He had a pained expression on his face, and he looked Keiko straight in her eyes, “Oh no, you poor thing…I’m so sorry, Keiko-chan…but, please, I promise it wasn’t what it looked like...I wasn’t a willing participant in that kiss, I swear! She was the one who kissed me!” 

It was clear that Light was searching her eyes, and she fought hard not to give him any sign of weakness as he quietly continued on, “you have to believe me...you know how I feel about you; you know I would never intentionally hurt you like that…what happened was Misa confessed her feelings towards me, telling me she couldn’t hide them anymore, even though she tried at first because you’re her friend, and she kissed me before I could stop her. I didn’t want to tell you because I didn’t want your feelings to be hurt and her kiss meant nothing to me...and again, you know how I feel towards you. I swear, Keiko-chan, that’s the truth...you trust me, right?”

Keiko’s heart gave a lurch at Light’s words, and she bit her lip in an attempt to keep herself from tearing up. Her heart was telling her to give in him, to give him a second chance, and to tell him that she trusted him once more. 

She knew how much he had cared for her in the past, how sweet he had been towards her, why wouldn’t she believe him now? It wasn’t like him to be a cheater. Not at all. What he was telling her had to be true. Misa had to have been the one who kissed him, not the other way around. After all, Misa had been interested in her boyfriend from the start. 

The more logical side of her was telling her that he was only taking advantage of her emotions, that he had actually cheated on her. Even if Misa had kissed him first, it looked like Light had been willingly kissing her back. His hands were just about to touch her body before Keiko had looked away. He would only cheat on her again if she foolishly trusted him once more. Of course, he could have been about to push her away, but who would push away a blonde supermodel? 

Her first boyfriend had cheated on her for months before she found out. Now, here she was, almost two years later with her second boyfriend, who already cheated on her once. And, if she let him, there was going to be a second, a third, and a fourth time. 

She squeezed her eyes shut a moment, taking in another deep breath as she made what was probably the most important decision in her life currently. What her heart wanted and what her mind was telling her were two very different things. She thought carefully about what she wanted verus what was best for her. 

After a moment, she slowly opened her eyes and confidently flashed her boyfriend a warm smile. 

 

Light’s POV:

_ All right... _ Light thought to himself when he saw his girlfriend’s friendly smile aimed at him once more,  _ I’ve got her. It was worth playing it cool until she finished her original sentence...anyway, I knew that she would believe me, I have her wrapped around my finger after all. She trusts me... and...my little act was flawless. Well, actually, it wasn’t too much of an act. It was just the honest truth that I thought I would never have to tell her, aside from the part about Misa...which reminds me, after this, I will have to inform her that if I have to clean up one of her little messes like this again, then there will definitely be no chance of me falling for her. This whole misunderstanding was her fault, after all. She can’t go unpunished. I’ll just have to think about what to do with her to ensure nothing like this happens again... _

Light smiled back at Keiko. He was actually about to express how happy he was to be with her, for added effect, when all of the sudden she interrupted him. 

“Light Yagami...let’s...break up,” Keiko announced, still smiling as she said every word. Though she appeared happy on the outside, there was a pained look in her eyes. When she was finished speaking, she stood up to start walking, not even bothering to take the rest of her coffee with her. 

It took a moment for her words to sink in to Light, for him to realize that those were not the words he had expected to come out of her mouth. Unfortunately, by the time her words sank in to him, Keiko was already halfway out the door. He could feel both irritation and sudden panic rising up within him.

_ Dammit! So that’s why she picked a spot up front, so that she could easily sneak away from me after saying that! However, I can’t let her get away! I can’t let her break up with me, dammit! I have to painfully admit, I don’t want to lose her a part of me has unwillingly grown attached to her...and I can’t afford to lose her! Not with the way  the investigation is currently going! If L finds out that Keiko broke up with me, I have no doubt that he will be suspicious of Misa and I. This will give him more of a reason for him to think that Misa’s the Second Kira, and if he believes that, then there’s no telling what he’d do in order to get information from her! I could be ruined! I can’t let that happen! _

Light gave a slight growl as he rushed to stand up, not even caring as the chair he had recently been sitting on loudly bumped the wall it was up against, startling a couple other customers in the coffee shop. His only goal was to catch up with Keiko. He picked up his pace as he ran out the front door of the coffee shop. 

Luckily for him, Keiko wasn’t that far ahead of him. His long legs gave him an advantage, as he was quick to catch up to her. He grabbed her wrist using an iron grip, attempting to lead her to the side of the building so that the two of them could talk.

“Please,” he pleaded once he had Keiko within his grip, his light brown eyes were searching hers.

 

Keiko’s POV:

No matter how hard she tried, she quickly realized that she couldn’t shake him off. Seeing no other option, she finally relented. When Light seemingly realized she wasn’t going anywhere, his grip on her wrist softened, and he finished dragged her to the outside wall of the coffee shop.

“Keiko-chan…” he pleaded once more, his wide eyes were still searching hers. His light brown hair was now a little disheveled due to having to run after her and Keiko could feel the warmth of his hand around her wrist. She felt the blood rushing to her face, and once again her heart pumped faster. 

There was one thing she couldn’t deny, no matter what; Light Yagami was rather attractive. Keiko knew that she was getting dangerously close to giving in, to letting herself be fooled by him once more. 

_ Dammit...this was why I wanted to rush out of there quickly, because I knew the longer I stayed with him, the weaker I’d get...meaning the more likely I’d be to give in to him... _

“L-Light-kun,” she choked out, fighting to keep her voice level. She swallowed hard as she attempted not to get lost in his puppy dog eyes. 

_ Keiko! No matter how much it hurts, you have to remain strong...remember, breaking up is like a band aid...while it’s painful, it’s better to rip it off in one quick, fluid motion, rather than to drag things out. If things get dragged out, you will only suffer more. Don’t be dumb, don’t let yourself get fooled again, you don’t want a repeat of what happened with Daicho...do you want to let things get so far that he introduces Misa as his new girlfriend? You know that it’s probably only a matter of time if you let things continue. You know it didn’t take long for Misa to get to him... _

Keiko took a deep breath, and took advantage of the sudden surge of power and confidence she felt coming on, “...Light Yagami…while I don’t know whether or not you’re actually Kira, there’s one thing I do know...I can’t accept cheating. If you were being honest with me, and what you said back there is true, then time will reveal that...but for now, I can’t be your girlfriend, it would hurt too much... therefore, as I said earlier, I’m breaking up with you, Light-kun.”

With that, Keiko slipped away from his grasp, leaving a slack jawed Light. Keiko could feel the tears as they started streaming down her face. She let her feet take her to the nearest bus station, heading to where she wasn’t able to go the other day. 

With or without Light Yagami, she was going to visit her father. 

She didn’t notice that once again Mogi had been there to witness her relationship drama. He turned around, heading back to the hotel to give an update of the situation to L. 

 

L’s POV:

_ Well, well, well...so Keiko’s finally wisened up? While I’d like to think that Light isn’t Kira, the fact that he cheated on Keiko with Misa definitely makes me even more suspicious of him...unless Misa did in fact kiss an unwilling Light. However, even if that’s the case, it’s too late now, Keiko’s pulled the plug on their relationship. There’s also the fact that it’s suspicious in general that Light would be hanging around a girl like Misa, and Keiko for that matter, as it appears that she and Misa spent time with each other the past week and a half. No matter what, it’s suspicious to me. Misa’s reckless, impulsive, and quite over the top...she isn’t the type of person that Light or Keiko would want to spend time with...well now seeing as Keiko broke up with Light, I doubt she wants to spend time with either one of them... _

“Heh...what an...interesting...new development,” L murmured as Mogi informed him that Keiko had just broken up with Light. 

“I agree,” Mogi replied. He sighed deeply, then shook his head, “poor Kagami-san...it’s better that she broke up with him...though now I suppose working on the investigation together is about to get a little awkward….I have to say, I never thought that Light would be the type to cheat.”

L gave a slight chuckle in amusement, “well, Light’s only human after all...he’s your typical make teenager.”

_ Or so he’d like me to think...hmm...wait, is that why he cheated? To appear more normal to me? I’d say it’s only a small chance, only about 6-8%, if he were to cheat on Keiko for that reason, he’d probably pick someone more his type. Not someone like Misa...it’s much more likely that Misa Amane is the Second Kira.  _

“Well,” L continued on, glancing over at Mogi, “now that Keiko-chan made her decision...it’s time for us to make our move.”

“H-huh?” Mogi questioned, a look of confusion crossed his face, “what exactly do you mean by that, Ryuzaki-san?”

“I would like to officially arrest Misa Amane under suspicion that she is the Second Kira…but to the public, her official charge needs to be something else...how about, hmm…a voluntary witness...we can charge her manager with possession of illegal drugs. That’s not too uncommon and that should be doable for you, right? After all, you are a police officer.” 

“You can’t be serious,” Mogi responded, an incredulous look on his face, “you seriously don’t think…?”

“Oh, but I’m dead serious, Mogi-san...look, it’s too suspicious to me. We got the Second Kira’s final message right after Light and Misa made contact with each other...and Misa’s not even the type of person that Light or Keiko would normally hang around, so there has to be some sort of other reason. Misa must have approached Light, to tell him that she’s the Second Kira, and Light probably had to ensure that she and Keiko became friends somehow. Misa and Light met because the two of them just happened to run into each other...but was it really a coincidence? That was probably just to ensure that Keiko wouldn’t suspect anything.”

Mogi swallowed hard as he listened to L’s theory, “it’s a crazy idea..but given the fact that we have no other leads at the moment, I’ll do it...however, there’s something else that’s bothering me...when exactly are you planning on telling the other members of the Task Force about all this? They deserve to know what’s going on, Ryuzaki-san, we can’t just leave them in the dark...it’s been a few days, and now Kagami-san even broke up with Light-kun. At this point, even if we don’t say anything, the others are bound to find out soon enough.”

“In due time, be patient, Mogi-san. I thought it would be best not to inform Light’s father until after we took action, especially given how emotional he’d get at the fact that his precious son cheated on Kagami-san…his emotion would have clouded his logical reasoning too much in this circumstance. There’s no way he would want to arrest Misa, he’d be against it, so this way, I can bypass that, ” L replied simply, “and after we take Misa into custody, I will call a general meeting, and everything will be explained…oh and I would like Light-kun and Keiko-chan to be present as well...after all, they, too, deserve to know what’s going on with miss Misa Amane..”

“But...uh...won’t it be too weird, too raw?” Mogi asked nervously, running a hand through his hair, “after all, they only broke up about an hour ago…”

L rose his thumb up to his lip, deep in thought. Even though the two had just broken up, he didn’t want to wait anymore. He was tired of waiting, “yes, I considered that, however, they are still both members of the investigative team...hopefully they will be able to put their personal lives aside for the purpose of furthering the investigation, and if not, well there will be enough police officers around to separate them in case an argument breaks out.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Mogi responded.

“Good, good,” a half smile played on L’s lips, “so give the order to have Miss Amane-san taken into custody, and I will then call the meeting...however, given the circumstances, I doubt Kagami-san will have her cell phone turned on, so-”

“Wait, what makes you say that?” Mogi’s eyebrows furrowed.

L smirked, “I have my reasons...here, let me show you. Please, hand me your cell phone.”

Mogi reluctantly reached into his pocket and produced his cell phone, turning it on before handing it to the detective. L grabbed the cell phone from Mogi’s hand, he put it on speaker phone then dialed Keiko’s phone number. Instead of ringing, her phone went straight to voicemail.

L handed back Mogi’s phone with a smug look on his face, “she probably turned off her cell phone just in case Light tried to contact her in any way. Knowing her, she’s emotionally fragile right now. She probably didn’t want to crack and allow herself to give Light a second chance if he attempted to call or text her.”

“So, how are we supposed to get in contact with her then? She seemed pretty distressed the last time I saw her,” Mogi replied, “so distressed that she sprinted away, it looked like she was headed towards a bus station. There’s no telling where she went.”

“No worries, I think I have a pretty good idea of where she ran off to,” L commented. There was a smirk on his face and a glint in his eyes, “please inform Matsuda-san that I would like for him to go with Watari-san to fetch her…”

  
  
  
  
  



	24. Chapter Twenty-four: Intervention

 

Light’s POV:

Light watched pitifully as Keiko weaved her way through the crowd and disappeared. Despite the fact that she was now long gone, her words were still ringing through his head,  _ “...Light Yagami…while I don’t know whether or not you’re actually Kira, there’s one thing I do know...I can’t accept cheating. If you were being honest with me, and what you said back there is true, then time will reveal that...but for now, I can’t be your girlfriend, it would hurt too much... therefore, as I said earlier, I’m breaking up with you, Light-kun.” _

He had been standing there by the outside wall of the coffee shop, deep in thought, for quite a while. It bothered Light that he hadn’t managed to fully convince his girlfriend of his innocence, especially because in this instance, he was actually innocent. Light hadn’t wanted to cheat on Keiko, far from it. Instead he had been a victim of Misa’s recklessly impulsive actions. It technically wasn’t his fault. 

However, there was nothing else that Light could have said or done in that moment that would have convinced Keiko of his innocence, and he knew that. He concluded that, for the time being, he had to just let her go. Even though he didn’t want to. Even though a part of him wanted nothing more than to make up with her somehow, and once again feel the warmth of her lips against his as her hands ran seductively through his hair. That small part of him would miss her, and he knew that the two of them would never quite go back to the way things were before Misa intervened. 

Misa Amane.

_ Dammit, this is all her fault! She really is a liability! ...if it weren’t for Rem...she’d be gone. _

She was responsible for this whole mess. It was entirely her fault that Keiko no longer had trust in Light, and thought it would be best if she just broke up with him instead of giving him a second chance. It was entirely her fault that his current ex-girlfriend had gotten hurt. Light could feel his blood boiling. He knew that Keiko breaking up with him would only make himself and Misa Amane more suspicious to L and the rest of the Task Force, and there was now nothing he could do about it. 

At the time, Light had only excused Misa’s actions simply because he figured that no one else had been there to witness what had happened. He figured that it was just a bump of the road that could be forgotten about, that could be ignored and never brought up or spoken about again. 

Now that he knew Keiko had seen everything, Light figured that it was only a matter of time until the Task Force also had some inkling of what was going on. After all, it would be rather hard to hide the fact that Keiko had broken up with him. Once the Task Force found out about their split, it would be a field day for L, as he would definitely start to suspect Misa of being the Second Kira. 

Light growled, and started to walk towards the outskirts of the city. He knew exactly where he was headed and exactly who was to blame for what had happened. There was no way he was going to let Misa off lightly again. He wouldn’t make that same mistake twice and Light was determined to make it to her apartment first, before anyone else from the Task Force could investigate. 

He was interrupted from his brisk pace when he felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. He fished it out, his eyes narrowing as he realized who was calling him. 

_ Dammit! It’s L...that means he must have heard what happened by now...well, no matter what he says to me, I have to remember to try and stay calm. I can’t afford to act suspicious now. It could mean a death sentence for me.  _

“H-hello,” Light started as he flipped open his phone and brought it up to his ear, “what is it Ryuzaki-san?”

“Yes, hello Light-kun…I have some news about the investigation that I think will be of interest to you,” L replied. Light knew that whatever L was about to say next wasn’t exactly going to be good news. 

“What is it?” Light questioned, trying to ensure that his voice sounded as level as possible. He didn’t want to give L any more reasons to suspect him.

“Well, honestly, I’m not exactly sure how you’ll take this...but there’s something regarding Misa Amane that you should know…I had some forensic analysts gather physical evidence from the envelopes that were sent from the Second Kira, and in particular, they recovered hairs and fibers from the masking tape used to conceal them. They then also investigated Misa Amane’s apartment just earlier today, and they found a match to their earlier evidence. That being said, we’ve taken Misa Amane into custody...she is under suspicion of being the Second Kira,” L responded, and Light could hear the slightly smug undertone in his voice. He was clearly gloating to Light about his victory.

_ Damn him!  _

Light’s grip on his phone tightened as L continued on, “there would be a public uproar if it got out that she’s been placed under suspicion, so just to be safe, her official charge is different. Her manager has been charged with drug possession and Misa Amane is a voluntary witness. I hope you understand that because of your relationship to her, I must now ask that you come to the Task Force headquarters immediately, Light-kun.”

_ Of course, he must want to get a confession out of me somehow...damn! I was way too careless! I went through all of that trouble just to ensure that Misa and I wouldn’t be suspicious to Keiko or the rest of the Task Force...I wasn’t at all focused on destroying all of the leftover evidence from the videos that Misa Amane sent! He now has me cornered...no! No Light Yagami, you cannot think like that! L knew that his best defense would be to stay close to me rather than continue to hide himself, so that’s what he did. He confronted things head on...I, too, must confront things head on for the time being!  _

“Of course, I understand, Ryuzaki-san,” Light replied, keeping his voice cool and composed. He would face L head on. 

“Great,” L said before hanging up, “I’ll see you soon then.”

Light narrowed his eyes in thought as he started to walk towards the current location of the Task Force headquarters.

_ You might think that this is over, but really, the real battle is just about to begin, L! Just watch me, I’ll gain Keiko’s trust again and prove to you that Misa and I are innocent! _

 

Keiko’s POV:

As soon as Keiko arrived at the cemetery, she ran straight towards the secluded back lot, where she knew her father was buried. Once she had made it to her father’s grave, she immediately collapsed into a sad puddle onto the grass. 

“I’m so sorry, father…your daughter is such a fool,” Keiko announced after a moment of sitting there quietly. Her voice broke, and her head was bowed in front of her late father’s headstone. She could feel her eyes now brimming with fresh tears, even though she swore that she had already cried her eyes out on the bus ride on the way to the graveyard, “I must be such a disappointment to you.”

Keiko stayed like that for a while, sitting in front of her father’s tombstone and crying. In between her tears, she choked out the details of everything that had happened in her life ever since her last visit to her father. The whole year, almost a year and a half, that he had missed. 

“So you see, I was going to bring my boyfriend with me to meet you, but now I don’t even have a boyfriend anymore,” Keiko sadly said to her father after she had finished her long and rather depressing story.

She glanced off into the distance, the sun was nearly starting to set, leaving the sky turning deep shades of pink and purple, “I was a fool for trusting both Daicho-kun and Light-kun. There’s no denying that...and now because Light and I investigate together with L and the rest of the Task Force, I’ll have to see him almost every day and be reminded of how much he hurt me...ugh...why doesn’t someone just stamp the words ‘naive idiot’ onto my forehead, so everyone else knows? After all, those words seem to describe me rather well.”

She sighed bitterly, wiping off a tear that was rolling down her cheek. 

Keiko was glad that there was no one else was around visiting their relatives, as she was vaguely aware of how much of a mess she looked. The grass had stained the knees of her pants green, and she was certain that her hair had become a rat’s nest throughout the course of the day, especially with all of that running she had done. To top that all off, she knew that her face was a puffy, red mess. 

Keiko didn’t want to leave the cemetery looking so pathetic, so got out her small container of kleenex and attempted to fix herself up as best she could. She was so absorbed with trying to make herself appear more normal and less like a crazy person that she didn’t even hear the footsteps signaling that someone was approaching her. 

“Uh, K-Keiko-chan?” a quiet, uncertain voice from behind her spoke up, “I’m, um, I’m really sorry to bother you like this…”

Keiko’s ears immediately perked up at the sound. She knew, without a doubt, who that voice belonged to. 

_ It’s Matsuda…what’s he doing here? Did L tell him to stalk me again?  _

Seeing that she had already used up all of her kleenex, Keiko resorted to quickly wiping her face once more using the sleeve of the sweater she was wearing. Feeling as though she was as ready to face him as she would ever be at the moment, she turned around and gave a wobbly attempt at standing up.

_ Oh no! I’ve been sitting down for too long...I don’t have enough balance, I’m about to topple over!  _

Keiko closed her eyes, bracing herself for the impact of falling onto the cold, hard ground below her. 

But it never came. 

Instead, she soon found herself stumbling towards Matsuda, who had grabbed her hand in an effort to help stabilize her. However, his plan had backfired, and the two of them then almost toppled over together. At the very last moment, Matsuda let go of her hand and instead opted to wrap his arms around her back in a last ditch attempt to stabilize the both of them. 

After a moment, Keiko realized that the two of them hadn’t landed on the ground. The two of them were still both standing upright but she was now face to face with Matsuda’s chest. Even though he was entirely covered, wearing a finely tailored police suit, she could feel her face flaming. 

_ Matsuda, you idiot,  _ she thought,  _ you probably should have just let me fall. That would have been much less awkward than our current situation.  _

Keiko awkwardly gave a cough and gently pushed on Matsuda’s chest so that he would know to let go of her.

“I-I’m okay now, really,” she stuttered out, “you can let go, I’m no longer in any danger of falling down...”

“O-oh, okay,” she heard Matsuda reply, and she felt his arms suddenly drop to his sides. She took a couple steps backward and properly faced him, her face still slightly tinged pink. Matsuda seemed to feel just as awkward as she did, as his face was also a little flushed. 

“W-what are you doing here anyway? I didn’t think anyone would have been able to find me,” Keiko quitely murmured. 

Matsuda gave a soft sigh, and ran a hand through his hair. “Er, you see, Ryuzaki-san was the one who figured that you would be here...I got a call from Mogi-san earlier today telling me that Ryuzaki-san instructed him to have me come and pick you up from the cemetery. So Watari-san’s waiting with the car just outside of the entrance…” he gave her a sympathetic look, “I really am sorry...I didn’t mean to interrupt you, but Ryuzaki-san has some important news regarding the investigation. It’s...pretty urgent.”

_ Really? Ryuzaki couldn’t have waited a day or two? Why does it have to be now of all times?  _

“I see...did he tell you what it was?” Keiko questioned. When she glanced up at Matsuda, and saw his guilty face, she immediately knew the answer to her question, “w-what is it, Matsuda-san? Why does he want me to report to headquarters all of the sudden?”

He gave her a nervous look, his face turning white, “I-I wasn’t supposed to mention anything to you until we arrived at the hotel, just in case-”

“What is it, Matsuda-san?” Keiko repeated, her voice much more firm this time, “whatever it is, please, just spit it out already.”

“W-well...M-Misa Amane was arrested under suspicion of being the Second Kira,” Matsuda choked out, “I wasn’t supposed to mention anything right away so you wouldn’t be worrying the whole way there, seeing as she’s your friend, but…”

Keiko’s blood ran ice cold at Matsuda’s words, and she could feel her heart dropping into her stomach. 

_ W-what? She’s been arrested because L thinks she could be the Second Kira…? That means...no...that can’t be! I have to get to headquarters right away! ...also wait second, Matsuda still thinks Misa and I are friends? That must mean that he has no idea what happened between Misa, Light and I...L must want me at headquarters so that everything can be explained all at once. That would make sense... _

She grimly looked at Matsuda, mentally preparing herself for the mess that was about to unfold when they arrived at headquarters, “I-I understand...let’s go…”

 

_ /timeskip/ _

 

The three of them were the last to arrive at the Task Force headquarters. Everyone else was already there, sitting on the couches, waiting to begin the meeting. When Keiko saw Light sitting on the couch next to his father, her heart gave a little lurch that she fought hard to ignore. There was a spot available right next to him, as if Light had been saving her a seat, but she pointedly sat as far away from him as was possible. She could feel the questioning looks from the other members of the Task Force, but she said nothing. It wasn’t like she owed them an explanation anyway. 

Instead, she focused her attention on L, who had been watching the little show from his chair in front of the t.v. monitors. When L noticed that he now had Keiko’s attention, his eyes met hers and he gave a slight smirk, almost as if he were mocking her. Keiko shifted a little, feeling rather uncomfortable under his watchful gaze. 

“Ryuzaki-san,” Mr. Yagami started, interrupting the silence in the room, “now that we’re all here...we should begin, shouldn’t we?”

L glanced around the room, meeting everyone’s gazes before opening his mouth to speak.

“Of course...by now I assume you’ve all heard the news; I’ve had a girl named Misa Amane arrested under suspicion that she’s the Second Kira. Some of you are probably clueless, wondering why...well,” Keiko watched as L’s eyes locked onto her ex-boyfriend’s, “I’m sure Light-kun would be more than happy to shed some light on the subject, seeing as the two of them were quite personally involved with each other.”

“Ryuzaki-san, what is that supposed to mean?!” Chief Yagami demanded, his dark eyebrows furrowing together.

Keiko took a deep breath and interrupted the conversation before anyone else had the chance to comment. 

“That means, Yagami-san...that your son and Misa Amane were romantically involved with each other behind my back…that I was cheated on by Light-kun,” she said bitterly.

She could hear the collective gasps of everyone else on the Task Force, Mogi aside.

Both Ide and Aizawa gave a disappointed look in Light’s direction, and Matsuda soon followed suit. 

“Light-kun…” the dark haired man mumbled, “please tell me that she’s only joking around…”

“WHAT?!” Mr. Yagami bellowed out, he looked rather aghast at Keiko’s accusation. The chief then turned over to his son, “Light...please, tell me this isn’t true. Tell me that I raised you right, that you would never do something like this…”

Light sighed, “look, dad. I didn’t do anything wrong...it honestly wasn’t what it looked like-”

“Bullshit!” Keiko snapped, her hands were balled into fists at her sides. She had cried out most of her sadness earlier, and at the moment all she felt was anger, “I saw you two the other day! Your lips were practically glued together!”

“I tried to tell you earlier, Keiko-chan! She’s the one who kissed me! Whether you believe me or not, I swear that’s the truth! I would never intentionally hurt you like that. Please!” Light insisted, staring at Keiko intently. Even though he seemed genuine, Keiko couldn’t allow herself to give in. 

Instead, Keiko’s eyes glazed over, “as much as I want to believe that, Light-kun, I just can’t...I can’t allow myself to get hurt again...”

“At this point, the truth doesn’t quite matter. No matter what had happened, the result would have been the same,” L said, casting a look in Light’s direction, “you see, Light-kun, I suspected from the very beginning that you were only dating Kagami-san in order to make yourself look like a normal teenager to me, to hide the fact that you’re Kira...and when Misa, the Second Kira, first came into the picture, she had to have made things rather...messy for you…”

“Ryuzaki-san,” Light interrupted, “you do realize that I first met Amane-san on accident, right? You can’t draw any conclusions from that alone-”

“That’s where you’re wrong, Light-kun,” L responded before Light could finish up his sentence, “if you are in fact Kira, then you had to have met up with Misa Amane before the two of you ran into each other on the street...meaning that the two of you probably planned that out beforehand. After all, who could suspect that Misa Amane could be the Second Kira if the two of you just happened to meet by chance?”

The wheels in Keiko’s head were turning, and she cast a glance in Light’s direction, but his expression remained unreadable.

“Now, while it’s obviously just speculation that the two of you planned things out like that, what isn’t speculation is the fact that the two of you kissed...soon after we received videos from the Second Kira, I secretly instructed Mogi-san to start tailing you...while you might have suspected that someone was following you, there was no proof, seeing as Mogi-san didn’t leave a single trace. Mogi-san informed me that Misa Amane had been spending a lot of time with both you and Kagami-san...now if you were Kira, it would only make sense that you would want Misa-chan and Keiko-chan to become friends with each other, that way Keiko wouldn't be suspicious with a new girl suddenly hanging around you…”

_ Great, what L’s saying actually makes sense...but it sounds like there’s no actual way to prove that Misa Amane is the Second Kira at this point...it’s all just wild speculation...and honestly, I want it to stay that way. After all, it does sound pretty far fetched...and I don’t want Light Yagami to be Kira, and Misa Amane to be the Second Kira..that would mean I had been fooled by the both of them... _

“I’m not finished,” L’s voice interrupted Keiko’s thoughts. “I haven’t even gotten to the good part yet…”

_ Damn! It’s like he can read my mind,  _ Keiko thought, shifting her attention back to the detective.

“While I cannot be sure whether you meant what you said earlier, about Misa-chan kissing you without your consent, one thing I can be sure of, whether you wanted the kiss or not, is that the kiss sealed your fate. I, of course, knew that Misa Amane held strong feelings for you, and because of her feelings for you, you could probably easily control her actions as the Second Kira. So the moment that she kissed you, or you kissed her, I knew that I could no longer ignore my suspicions about the two of you…”

“If that’s true…” Light started, “why did you wait until today to place Misa Amane under suspicion? If you really had Mogi-san tailing me, then why didn’t you give orders to arrest her then and there, after it happened?”

L shifted in his chair, “hmm...do you really want to know?”

“Yes,” Light replied, “after all, it seems that you had every reason to suspect Misa Amane.”

“Well, the truth is…” L glanced over in Keiko’s direction, “...I only waited to act simply because I was curious to see how Kagami-san would react to the situation, after all, she was another witness to what happened…”

Once again, Keiko’s fists balled up at her side. Her blood was now boiling as her eyes narrowed at the detective. Her nostrils flared, she was beyond upset.

“Oh wonderful!” Keiko spit out, “so you mean to tell me that I had an audience to all of my pain?! Well, in that case, Ryuzaki-san, I hope my suffering was sufficiently entertaining for you! After all...I wouldn’t want you to become bored with my performance!”

“Kagami-san, please calm down…trust me, I wanted to tell you as soon as I saw what was going on. In fact I told L that we should act right away, he just didn’t listen to me...” Mogi softly spoke in an effort to ease some of her anger, but she wasn’t having it.

“Whatever,” Keiko huffed, shaking her head in Mogi’s direction. 

She stood up, and was about to leave the hotel room when she heard the detective suddenly speak, “...I understand that you must be feeling rather angry right now, Kagami-san, but please, at least wait to hear the rest of what I have to say before leaving…I think it’ll be worth your while...”

_ It would be easier to just give up and leave right now...however, a part of me is really curious to hear what else he has to say...do I really want to leave now and let everything that I’ve done so far, everything I’ve investigated to go to waste?  _

She gave another huff, but sat back down on the couch once more, crossing her arms in front of her chest. Her pride had lost the battle. The investigation would have to come first. 

When L saw that she had settled in once more, he continued on, “now...it’s actually a good thing that I waited for Kagami-san to act before giving the order to apprehend Misa Amane...because instead of arresting her in front of Light’s house, she was arrested inside of her apartment. A few days ago, after the final video was sent to us from the Second Kira, I had forensic analysts look over the the evidence left, and they managed to recover hairs and fibers from the masking tape used to conceal the envelope...I had the same analysts investigate Misa Amane’s apartment earlier today when she was arrested, and...they found a match to the earlier evidence they found. That means it’s pretty much a guarantee that Misa Amane is the Second Kira, now all we need is a confession from her.”

Keiko’s eyes widened, and for the second time that day, her blood ran ice cold. She couldn’t believe her ears. When Keiko first heard that Misa had been apprehended, she knew that L must have had good reason to suspect her of being the Second Kira, but it had just been wild speculation...up until now.

L chuckled a little, looking smug. He knew that he had captured her attention once more, “now...this also means that Light Yagami has become the prime Kira suspect.” 

“Ryuzaki-san…” Mr. Yagami cast a tired glance over at the detective.

“Dad, it’s alright. I understand where he’s coming,” Light calmly interjected. Keiko watched as he looked over at L, “does that mean you want to arrest me now as well?”

L looked Light over, “at the moment, I don’t think that’s necessary. After all, if you two are guilty, it shouldn’t take too long to get a confession out of Amane-san…”

Keiko watched as Light sighed, “I know the evidence is stacked against me right now, but I swear, I’m not Kira…and that I didn’t cheat on Kagami-san.”

“If you’re innocent,” L started, “then that will become clear as time goes on…”

Keiko brushed a stray strand of hair away from her face. She knew that L was right, if Light was innocent, then he would eventually be cleared of suspicion. 

_ But if he’s guilty, then I can’t allow myself to fooled once more… _

She sighed. Her heart was hurting, for more than one reason. It seemed that life never gave her a break. Keiko had no choice but to keep on moving forward.


	25. Chapter Twenty-five: Determination

 

 

L’s POV:

L sighed and drummed his fingers impatiently on the desk in front of him. It had already been a few days since Keiko had broken up with Light, and since he had arrested Misa Amane under suspicion of being the Second Kira. He knew that he had to try and remain patient for the time being, but nothing of interest had happened since then, and he was growing rather bored with the current situation. 

He hit the speaker button on his computer, unable to wait any longer for news, “Watari-san, has Misa Amane said anything yet?”

A moment later, he got a voice message back from Watari, “no, not yet. In fact, she still hasn’t spoken a single word.”

_ Hmmm…I see, so she refuses to speak, eh?    _

He thought for a moment, then brought his thumb up to the side of his mouth, “please, Watari-san, get me a visual of her.”

“Are you sure?” Watari asked.

“Yes, I’m sure...and please do it quickly,” L replied. He narrowed his eyes a little, “...also keep in mind, you’re free to do whatever has to be done in order to make her speak.”

“I understand, Ryuzaki-san. Just a moment, please.”

With that, L glanced around the room. Aside from him, there was Mr. Yagami, Aizawa, Matsuda, and Keiko present in the hotel room. Mr. Yagami and Aizawa were situated on one couch, and Matsuda and and Keiko were situated on the other. 

He could hear Mr. Yagami grumbling from his couch, but L ignored him. No matter what, it was important that they got Misa Amane to open up. They somehow needed to get a confession out of her. 

All of the sudden, Keiko looked over in L’s direction. He could feel her eyes on him, so he met her gaze, and offered her a slight smirk, remembering how she had gone up to him after the meeting he called a few days ago. That night, Keiko had patiently waited on the couch for everyone else to leave the room before making her way towards the great detective. 

_ L watched, an amused expression on his face, as Keiko got up from her spot on the couch and approached him. He could see the determination that was written all over her features. She sat down on the chair right next to his and opened her mouth to speak. _

_ “Ryuzaki-san...I just wanted to let you know that I’m still mad at you...and I’m still angry at Light-kun, for that matter, but that’s another topic entirely…” Keiko had started, running a hand through her hair. Her light brown eyes were glued to his, and he could tell how much she had been crying earlier that day. It still slightly showed, as her eyes were still a little puffy, but much he could see that of the redness had gone down.  _

_ “Hmm…yes, I figured that you would be upset with me...after all, that’s only a natural human response to what I did...anyway, was that all you wanted to say to me?” L questioned, an amused look on his face. He knew full well that she wasn’t finished speaking yet, but he wanted to see just what her reaction would be if he were to frustrate her some more. She was already mad at him, and he was certain it wouldn’t make too much of a difference. _

_ While Keiko was extremely intelligent, she also heavily relied on her emotions when making certain judgements and decisions. This probably her biggest weakness, one that she had to work on if she truly wanted to make it as a private detective. Therefore, it was interesting for him to see just what her emotional limitations were. To test her abilities. To help her reach new levels. _

_ He learned a lot more about her in the past few days, and a part of him wanted to continue learning more. A part of him wanted to completely figure her out, because to him, Keiko Kagami was a rather intriguing person. _

_ She was also a valuable asset to the Kira investigation, because of her personal relationship with Light Yagami. Even though the two of them had broken up, he was certain that at some point Light would try to win her back. When that time came, he wondered what Keiko’s response would be.  _

_ He liked her attitude from earlier, he liked how she had disregarded Light. The detective wanted her to keep that attitude up, but he also knew that she cared about Light, and as long as she cared, he would always be a weak spot. Therefore, it would be hard for her to refuse him, but he hoped she would be wiser the second time around. He needed her to stay alert and focus on the case, and a small part of him honestly didn’t want her to get hurt again.  _

_ Keiko’s eyes flashed at L’s response, and there was a slight hidden fierceness in her tone as she continued on, “no, Ryuzaki-san, I’m not finished, thank you very much. Ugh, anyway...despite the fact that I’m still upset, and probably will be for quite sometime, I still cannot ignore the fact that there’s a very high probability that Misa Amane is the Second Kira. The evidence is just stacked too high against her…” _

_ Keiko trailed off, giving the detective a chance to reply to what she had said so far. He gave her an unreadable expression.  _

_ “And so…?” he prompted her, he could tell that she was getting more and more irritated with him, he could see it in her eyes, and with the fact that she balled up both of her fists. _

_ She closed her eyes a moment, taking a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself before she replied once more, “and so...that being said, I’m still going to do my best to investigate with you and the rest of the Task Force...you see, despite the fact that I’m mad at you, and despite the fact that well...my heart’s just been stomped on...more than once, for that matter...I’m determined to help solve this case, no matter what, and make my father in heaven proud.” _

_ L watched as Keiko then bit her lip, waiting intently for him to reply. He gave a slight chuckle, raising an eyebrow. It was no shock to him that she had said this, in fact, he had been expecting it. The detective was a little proud of her in a way, but he waved that emotion aside. _

_ He knew that, no matter what, Keiko would be dedicated to the investigation. After all, he knew how much Keiko had looked up to her father, and how she wanted to follow in his footsteps. It was why he figured she would be at his grave after she had broken up with Light Yagami.  _

_ Keiko just had to have her heart broken by him in order to realize that not everyone was as trustworthy as they seemed. He only hoped that, from now on, Keiko would be wiser with who she let in and trusted. He hoped that she would be less carefree and naive. If she didn’t, it would be hard for her to make it as an investigator. _

_ “I see,” L responded, giving her a sly half smile, “well, in that case, it’s good to still have you on board, Kagami-san.” _

_ What an interesting development indeed... _

L was interrupted from his thoughts when Misa showed up on the multiple television screens in the hotel room. As L had instructed a few days ago, Misa Amane’s eyes had been covered up. Beyond that, the rest of her body had been tied up to ensure that she couldn’t make a sudden attempt to escape. He could hear her heavy breathing, but aside from that, she didn’t make any other noises. 

_ Hmm...so she really won’t talk, huh? That’s rather unfortunate, I need her speaking in order to figure out for sure who Kira is and how Kira kills his victims... _

“Ryuzaki-san, are you sure that we have to go this far just to get information out of her?” Matsuda questioned, looking up at the screens near the front of the hotel room, “this just seems pretty...inhumane.”

L gave a sigh. He had been expecting Matsuda to make a comment like that, “while it’s inhumane, it is rather necessary. After all, if she’s the Second Kira and she escapes, then the rest of us are all in danger. We can’t have her escaping...and because she’s tied up this way, she should crack under the pressure soon enough. In fact, I highly doubt she will last too much longer…”

As if on cue, Misa Amane finally softly spoke up, earning collective gasps from the rest of the Task Force, “I-I can’t take it anymore...kill me...please...just kill me already!”

A smug expression soon found its way onto L’s face, _ finally, you talk...after three days, hmm? I knew that you had to crack under the pressure sooner or later...well, now, this should be interesting. Hopefully soon I can get you to answer my questions... _

“I don’t know, Ryuzaki-san,” Aizawa murmured, “maybe this was just too much for a young girl to take...and anyway, what if we were wrong, and she really isn’t the Second Kira?”

“He’s right,” Matsuda added, “if she wants to die, then we must have pushed Misa too far past her limits…”

The detective ignored them both, and pressed the speakerphone button on his laptop, determined on furthering the Kira investigation no matter what, “Misa Amane...are you able to hear me?”

Upon hearing his voice, Misa attempted to nod as best she could, “yes, I hear you...now please, just kill me now!”

L continued on, “hmm..does this mean that you are admitting to being the Second Kira? Is this the reason that you wish to die?”

Out of the corner of his eye, L watched as Keiko scooted towards the edge of the couch, resting her head in her hand. She was intently watching Misa Amane’s every move.

“No!” was Misa’s immediate response, “I promise you, I don’t know anything about the Second Kira! ...oh I really can’t take this anymore, I’d rather just be dead...so please kill me!”

_ Hmm...could she really still be talking to me? Even though there’s no one else she could be talking to, it still seems rather unusual...she must know that I cannot kill her, no matter what. I need her alive in order to interrogate her.  _

“...if you wanted to, you could kill me right now, couldn’t you?! So do it already! Kill me!” she insisted. 

 

Misa’s POV:

Misa was certain about one thing; if she stayed like this for much longer, she was simply just going to go insane...no, she had already started going insane. 

She knew she had made a promise to Light that she wouldn’t say anything about him or the two death notes, but she really couldn’t handle being imprisoned. Therefore, she saw dying as the only solution to her current situation. If Rem killed her then she could be put out of her misery without spilling anything to L about what she knew.

“Kill me!” she repeated once more to Rem.

The shinigami gave a soft sigh. “...Misa...do you really mean it?” she asked the blonde girl, her were full of sadness as observed Misa’s current predicament. 

“Yes, please kill me!” Misa pleaded, and Rem could hear the desperation in her voice. 

“Again...do you really mean that, Misa?” Rem carefully questioned. To be honest, Rem herself wasn’t quite sure what to do, but the last thing she wanted was for Misa to die. However, at the same time, she couldn’t bear to see the girl suffering so much like this.

“Yes, I do…oh I can’t take it anymore! Kill me!”

“You know, Misa...if I do this, then Light Yagami dies too...after all, this is all his fault,” Rem said bitterly as she thought about the original Kira. 

“No!” Misa’s voice rang out, clear as day, “no! You can’t! Please just kill me!”

_ Oh Misa Amane, _ Rem thought sadly, _ you poor girl, why do you want to die for him so badly? _

 

Keiko’s POV:

Keiko watched with great intensity as Misa pleaded for her death, determined to fit the pieces of the puzzle together. 

_ What the...what’s going on exactly?! This sudden behavior doesn’t quite make sense, it seems off somehow...but why exactly…? Even if she were the Second Kira, wouldn’t the better option be to cooperate with us? Would she seriously rather give her life rather than answer our questions? Is she trying to protect Kira’s identity?  _

A chill went through Keiko’s body as she remembered that Light Yagami was now the prime Kira suspect. She had no doubt that if her ex-boyfriend were actually Kira that Misa would do anything to protect his secret, no matter what. However, the thought of Light being Kira scared Keiko to no end, especially because she still had lingering feelings for him. Feelings that she tried hard at the moment to forget. 

“Fine!” Misa spoke suddenly, “if you won’t kill me-”

L waved a hand in the air, “stop her! Watari-san, don’t let her bite her tongue!”

With lightning speed Watari wrapped a gag around Misa’s mouth, muffling her. This earned a couple sighs, from Aizawa and Mr. Yagami. 

“Hmm…is it possible that this behavior could be attributed to Kira controlling her actions before death?” L murmured.   

_ Can Kira seriously control a person’s actions before death, or is that just speculation at this point?  _ Keiko wondered. She thought back to her first attempt at a date with her ex-boyfriend, the bus jacking, and shuddered.  _ Because, if so that means...Light Yagami could really be Kira. _

 

Light’s POV:

For the time being, Light was trying to place all thoughts of Keiko out of his head. He had to focus on the current situation with Misa Amane, that was the top priority at the moment. Even though the situation looked like it wasn’t going well for Kira, Light was certain that Misa wouldn’t reveal anything to L. After all, she seemed way too infatuated with him to even consider doing something like that. 

_ L needs a confession in order to convict Misa...well, he isn’t going to get one... _

Light gave a smirk, he felt comfortable knowing that he was safe. 

“Ooh, someone’s feeling rather confident,” Ryuk remarked. 

Light was about to respond to him when he noticed Rem suddenly appearing in his bedroom. He had a pretty good inkling as to why she was there. He also knew exactly what had to be done. 

“Ah, hey, Rem,” Light started, “what’s the matter?”

Rem stared intently at him, not even attempting to hide her disgust, “Light Yagami...Misa refused my offer to help her escape, no doubt because she knew that it would cause you trouble, because then the police would have proof of her powers...when her suffering became more than she could bear, she started begging me to kill her...all of this because she wants you to love her. I couldn’t possibly kill her...no matter how hard I tried to end her suffering, I just couldn’t bring myself to do it...therefore there was only one more option left to save her from her suffering…”

Rem trailed off, but Light was able to fill in the blank rather quickly. “So, you had her forfeit ownership of her death note…”

The shinigami nodded at him, “yes, that’s right...since she forfeited ownership of the death note, all of her memories related to it disappeared...everything, including all of the murders she committed with it, and the fact that you are Kira. Therefore, your secret is now safe.”

“Also,” Rem added, “she is no longer able to see Ryuk or myself, as she is no longer the owner of a death note...all she will be able to remember is that she has strong feelings for you, Light Yagami.”

“You did the right thing, Rem,” Light replied, looking up at the shinigami, “if her memories of the death note are gone, then chances are they will have to release her eventually.”

“Light Yagami, I proposed this to Misa knowing that it would benefit you...but I did so on one condition…” she pointed a white, bony finger directly at Light’s forehead, “...and that is...if you don’t save Misa Amane, I will kill you…”

“I understand, Rem, and I have a pretty good idea of what L will do next. That being said,” he stared straight into Rem’s eyes as he spoke, “don’t worry...I have a plan.”

 

_ /timeskip/ _

 

“I hereby relinquish ownership of this death note,” Light announced, staring straight into Rem’s eyes as he handed her the notebook. 

Rem accepted the notebook, matching Light’s glare with an intense look of her own, “take care of Misa, or else...remember, you gave your word.”

With that, the white shinigami flapped her wings, and left the forest, leaving Light alone with Ryuk. Light watched as she flew away, and a sly smirk crept across his face. 

_ Well, well. It’s just as I thought...as long as I still have Ryuk’s notebook, even though I gave up Rem’s, all awareness I have of Rem still remains...Rem, the only reason I have to go through all of this trouble is because you brought another death note to the human world...things would have worked out smoothly if I didn’t have Misa hanging around me. That damned kiss ruined all of my plans… _

“Are you really sure about this, Light?” Ryuk’s question broke Light away from his thoughts.

“Yeah,” Light replied, glancing over at the dark shinigami that was floating to the left of him. 

“Well, in that case, alright...but I have to say...I never thought the death note I gave you would end up buried and abandoned...it’s quite sad, don’t you think?” the shinigami gave a sigh as he looked over at the site in the forest where his extra death note had been buried.

“Listen, Ryuk, for the time being I’m just hiding it, but...it stays mine....until the next time you hear me say the following words...‘get rid of it’. When I say that, regardless of the context, assume that I want to relinquish ownership of the death note,” Light replied.

The shinigami laughed a little but nodded, “hyuk, alright then, Light. I got it…”

 

Keiko’s POV:

Aside from the occasional muffling sound, Misa had quieted down after the gag had been placed around her mouth. It was clear Misa had stopped struggling entirely. 

Then, all of the sudden, Keiko almost swore that she saw a strand of Misa’s hair move all on its own, despite there being no wind where she was being held captive. It happened quickly, so quickly that Keiko almost just chalked it up to her seeing things. However, when she heard the quietest of gasps escape the great detective’s mouth, she knew she hadn’t just been imagining it. 

Wanting to sit closer to the screens, Keiko decided to move from her spot on the couch into the empty chair that was sitting right next to L. He raised an eyebrow upon her arrival, but didn’t say anything. 

“Don’t misunderstand me, Ryuzaki-san...I’m still mad at you...I just want to keep a closer eye on her,” Keiko explained, being careful not to look over at the detective. “I mean, you saw that too, right?”

“Hmm,” out of the corner of her eye, Keiko noticed that the corners of L’s mouth had turned every so slightly. She had no doubt that he must have noticed how hard she was working to not look at him. He then gave her a brief nod, “yes, yes I did see it...how unusual indeed.”

It then appeared that Misa’s body had gone limp, it was as though she had either fallen asleep or collapsed from exhaustion. Given her current condition, Keiko figured that it was probably the latter.

“For the time being, please ungag her,” L instructed Watari, “perhaps we can get her to talk when she wakes up.”

_ /timeskip/ _

 

“Ahh...Mr. Stalker...hello, mister?” came Misa’s frantic voice. Keiko’s eyes suddenly snapped open, and her vision soon focused on the blonde haired girl on the screens. It appeared she had finally woken up, “d-do you think we could stop this game?”

Right next to Keiko, L who had been about to bite into a mini chocolate cupcake, stopped dead in his tracks. She could also hear the collective grumbling of the other members of the Task Force behind her. 

“Huh, a stalker? ...where’d she get that from all of the sudden?” Matsuda questioned.

Right beside him, Aizawa murmured, “what’s up with this new attitude?”

“Mr. Stalker,” Misa continued on, “please, this is illegal...you have to stop!” 

For the next five minutes, after a short bathroom break, Misa carried on with this new idea that she was being held hostage from an obsessive stalker fan. It appeared that she had entirely forgotten the real reason why she was being held captive, and the interrogation that had gone on before she was gagged earlier. 

“So...what’s this? She regains consciousness and develops a new attitude?” Keiko muttered incredulously, “does she think she can just play dumb like this? I have to admit, it’s starting to get on my nerves…”

“Okay, how about this...you can at least take off my blindfold, don’t you think? It would be nice to see what you look like.”

_ Is she really playing dumb, though? Or is she serious...with how she’s sounding, it’s almost hard to tell... _

“Matsuda-san,” L called, extending his hand in his general direction, “please, call Mogi-san for me…”

“Just a moment, then…” Matsuda rifled through his pockets for his cell phone. He took it out and dialled Mogi’s number before handing it over to L, “here you are.”

“Mogi-san…” L started, “when you apprehended Misa Amane...you made it clear that she was a suspect, correct? She knows that she is under suspicion of being the Second Kira?”

“What if I give you an autograph or shake your hand...or perhaps...you’d like a kiss on the cheek?! I can do that! Please, unhand me, I promise I won’t run away!” Misa insisted while L was on the phone.

“Mhmm, I understand, thank you.” With that, L hung up the phone, handing it back over to Matsuda with a sigh, “we were making so much progress with her...and now this…why is she suddenly talking about a stalker?”

Keiko watched as he carefully hit the speakerphone button on his laptop, “Misa Amane.”

“Huh, what’s that, Mr. Stalker? Are you finally planning on releasing me?” 

“Before you passed out, you barely spoke...and you even asked me to kill you...but now you’re claiming ignorance? Why?” L questioned, his eyes narrowing. 

“Hmm, I don’t understand,” Misa responded. “I mean...you’re the one who knocked me out and then brought me here, remember? ...wait...I get it...this is some Misa Amane interrogation fantasy of yours...am I correct, Mr. Stalker?”

“Amane-san...do you know why I’m detaining you here?” L questioned further, “you must have some idea…”

“What do you mean? It’s obviously because I’m a celebrity,” Misa replied, “but you’re honestly the first stalker whose gone this far...and it’s really starting to scare me…”

“What the…” Keiko muttered quietly, her own eyes started narrowing, “what’s the meaning of this?”

All of the sudden, Matsuda stepped forward, stealing the microphone away from L, “hey, Amane-san! No one’s buying this, so cut the crap already!”

“M-Matsuda-san,” Keiko reached out, lightly pulling on the end of this shirt, “please try and remain calm...you’re only going to scare the girl…if she’s too terrified, she won’t cooperate with us.”

Matsuda glanced in Keiko’s direction, and as their eyes met he gave a gentle sigh, “s-sorry…I guess I wasn’t thinking properly.”

As if on cue, Misa continued on once more. “Oh this is scary…” Misa cried out, her voice rose a few octaves. “I can’t take this anymore! Oh, please let me go!”

“I told you so,” Keiko muttered.

“Let me go!” Misa demanded once more, “please! Oh yeah...I have to go to the bathroom again! I have to go to the bathroom, okay?!”

“It’s only been about ten minutes since you last went to the bathroom...I’m afraid you’ll just have to hold it,” L replied, his voice was monotone.

“B-but you have to let me go!” Misa cried out, “it’s the only time you let me move...plus you’ll be able to watch...isn’t that what you want?! You pervert!” 

L’s eyes slightly widened at Misa’s accusation. “I’m...a...pervert?” he quietly questioned. 

Even though the situation was anything but funny, Keiko couldn’t help but to let out a small chuckle, earning her a momentary death glare from the detective. 

“Amane-san...please calm down and think rationally...let’s go back to the conversation we had before you lost consciousness…” L said, taking the microphone back from Matsuda and moving it back into its original position. However, before he had another chance to question Misa Amane, his cell phone went off.

“Actually, you know what? I will be with you again in just a moment...” he said and turned off the microphone, taking his cell phone out of his jean pocket.

“It’s Light,” L announced to everyone in the room. At the mention of her ex-boyfriend, Keiko’s heart gave a little lurch and she could feel her stomach slowly churning. She hadn’t seen Light since the day she had broken up with him, the day that Misa Amane was taken under suspicion of being the Second Kira. She supposed that his call meant that she would be seeing him again soon. While she knew that she would have to put her personal feelings aside for the purpose of the investigation, she wasn’t sure how prepared she actually was to do that. Saying it was one thing but doing it was another thing entirely. 

L picked up the phone, “hello, Light-kun...mhmm, I agree...yes, yes we will be expecting you, then...alright...see you soon.”

As soon as L hung up the phone, he immediately glanced in Keiko’s direction, as if trying to read her reaction. Keiko tried to make her face as unreadable as possible, though she knew L probably already suspected how nervous she was feeling. 

After a few seconds, he turned away, facing the rest of the Task Force as he announced, “Light Yagami will be arriving here shortly.”


	26. Chapter Twenty-six: Conversation

Chapter Twenty-six: Conversation

 

Light’s POV:

“Hyuk, so what exactly are you thinking of doing, Light? It looks like you’ve been going through an awful lot of trouble the last couple days...so you must have cooked up a rather elaborate plan,” Ryuk commented as Light walked towards the current Task Force headquarters, “...that has to be it, otherwise you wouldn’t have given up one of the death notes earlier today...and you say it’s only a matter of time before you will be forced to give up mine…”

“Hmm...as always, you’ll just have to wait and see, Ryuk,” Light responded, “I spent the last few days reviewing the death note rules, just to be sure, and I think I have everything figured out. Just do what I asked you to do earlier when the time is right, and everything should run smoothly.” 

“Secretive, as always,” Ryuk responded, “I hope whatever you have in mind works out, because I don’t want my poor extra death note to be rotting in the ground for forever...it deserves a better life than that!”

Light chuckled at Ryuk’s words, “oh don’t you worry about that...I’ll be getting it back eventually...as I said, my plan should be flawless...I know myself well, and I know exactly what I have to do.”

He faced forward, and there was an evil glint in his eyes.

_ As I said before, the real battle is only just beginning...I’ll play my part well, I’m certain of that...I’ll see you soon, L. _

 

Keiko’s POV:

“Ryuzaki-san,” Light announced as soon as he stepped into the hotel room, “...like I said over the phone...I think I could possibly...be Kira.”

Keiko’s could feel her heart drop into her stomach at Light’s words. She felt as though she just had the wind knocked out of her. 

She called L’s words from months ago,  _ “...well, Keiko-chan, to be blunt, while you've been cleared of suspicion, there's still a chance that Light Yagami is Kira.” _

Keiko had known from the very beginning, from the very moment she had agreed to work alongside L, that there was a strong possibility that the man she had feelings for was actually Kira. Not only that, L gave her periodical reminders to suspect her boyfriend of actually being Kira.

She thought back to the last warning that the detective had given her,  _ “...you’re back on guard a little more now, aren’t you?...that’s good, I’m glad. I thought I almost lost you there for a moment. As I said the other night, your boyfriend is still a Kira suspect. I know you hold strong feelings for him, but you cannot forget that fact. After all...it’d be a shame if you were to get hurt, Keiko-chan…” _

While Keiko knew that she had been warned the whole time, she also knew that she hadn’t wanted to believe it. The more she fell for Light Yagami, the more she had ignored L’s warnings. Up until recently, things with Light had been going well. His kisses were sweet, and he had never failed to make her feel good.

Therefore, hearing Light actually say out loud that there was a strong chance he was Kira shattered her. It hurt almost as bad as when she saw Light and Misa kissing each other a few days ago. Despite how much Light had hurt her, like L had warned her he would, despite how much he had broken her heart, she still truly cared for him, and hoped that he wasn’t actually Kira. 

The chief frantically ran over to his son upon hearing his words. He grabbed Light’s shoulders and gave them a gentle shake, “no, Light! What are you even talking about?! Why would you say something like that? Why?!”

Keiko watched as the scene unfolded in front of her. She studied her ex-boyfriend’s face carefully. It seemed as though he genuinely believed what he had just said. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed that L was also staring at Light, and she was sure that he was scrutinizing his every move. 

“Look, dad...if Ryuzaki-san is L, then it’s pretty safe to say that he’s the greatest detective the world’s ever seen...and right now he seems pretty positive that I am Kira,” Light said, sparing a quick glance at L before focusing his attention back to his father, “and we know that L has never been wrong in his deductions before...therefore I think he has to also be right about this...I have to be Kira.”

Mr. Yagami’s face crumbled, it was clear that his son’s response only made him even more emotional. He shook his son’s shoulders once more, “w-what are you saying, Light?! Please, stop talking like this! I don’t like it!”

Light removed his father’s hands from his shoulders, and closed his eyes a moment, deep in thought, “what about that FBI agent, Raye Penber? If you recall, it was me he was investigating immediately before he died…”

Upon hearing Raye Penber’s name, Keiko could feel her blood run cold. She was momentarily transported back to the first date she was supposed to have with Light Yagami, remembering how that criminal had hijacked the bus she and Light were on. She remembered how she and Light just happened to sit right in front of the FBI agent. 

Keiko also recalled one of the statements that L had made during her first meeting with him,  _ “...I had the FBI investigate the police force and their family members, I was tailing them, much like I had Matsuda tail you this last week. However, as you can see, all of the FBI agents I had investigating ended up being murdered by Kira. This led me to deduce that someone I was investigating had to be Kira. While I realize I have no solid proof of this, the one I suspected the most out of those suspected with Light Yagami. He was one of the last people to be tailed before they were all murdered, actually.” _

_ In other words, if Light is actually Kira, then there’s no way that was just an accident...which means, he had to have planned that bus jacking out in advance. He had to think of a way for Raye Penber to reveal his name to him, so that he could get rid of him. That also means...Light had to have been using me.  _

Even though the hotel room wasn’t exactly that cold, Keiko shivered. At the time, she hadn’t thought too much of the situation, but in retrospect, it seemed way too suspicious to be ignored. 

It looked as though Light’s father wanted to say something, but Light continued on before he had a chance to speak, “it isn’t just that...think about it...I have a strong sense of justice...I have access to private police records...and I was in Aoyama on May 22nd...therefore, it only makes sense that I could be Kira.”

“Oh, Light…” the chief quitely murmured, looking sadly at his son.

Light swallowed hard, “...if I were L, I would have come to the same conclusion...you see, subconsciously I could be Kira...and if that’s the case, that means I could be him and not even know it.”

Keiko took a moment to glance at the detective sitting beside her. She saw that his eyes were narrowed in Light’s direction, and he had a serious expression on his face. It was apparent that the wheels in his head were turning. Whatever it was he was thinking thinking, there was no way it was good. 

“R-right now, I’m not sure of anything anymore,” Light admitted, “and while I know I’d never consciously kill someone...who knows what I’m capable of while unconscious...another me could be killing people as I sleep…”

“I’m afraid that’s not possible,” L spoke up, his dark eyes yes meeting Light’s. 

“N-not possible? What exactly do you mean by that, Ryuzaki-san?” Light questioned, a puzzled expression on his face. 

L shoved his hands in his pockets, “well...I never mentioned this to you, but at one point I had hidden surveillance cameras installed in your bedroom...I watched you for about ten days.”

Keiko closed her eyes a moment, remembering L’s original theory that Light had only been using her to appear more normal, and be less suspicious to those that were investigationing him. 

_ “...a couple days after things were set in place, Light had you over for the first time to study with him. He also had you over a couple other nights while we were investigating him. _ ” 

“C-cameras?” Light’s voice brought Keiko back from her thoughts.

L nodded, “yes...and during that time, you slept normally at night...also criminals whose names were publicly broadcasted were still dying, even when you did not have access to them...but this didn’t prove your innocence to me at all...instead, it only proved to me that, if you were Kira, no amount of camera surveillance would reveal that fact...also, it was during that time that you had Keiko come over for study dates, a fact that I cannot overlook.”

Keiko had to admit that L’s theory would have fit. After all, Light was the one who had originally came up with the idea for them to study together during that period of time,  _ “...hmm, I know this maybe wouldn't count as a proper date, but perhaps you'd like to come over to study with me sometime? I mean, I was the one who asked you out originally, so that you could repay me. I think a study date sounds like a good way to do that, and there's no way someone could try and hijack my house.” _

Her heart raced slightly as she thought about her kiss with Light that first night she had come over. While it wasn’t her first kiss with him, it was the first time she had wanted to kiss him, and it was from that point on that she truly started to have feelings for him. If Light were actually Kira, then Keiko agreeing to study with Light that night had basically sealed her fate to becoming his girlfriend. 

_ “I guess what I’m saying is...Keiko Kagami, would you like to make things official by saying you’ll be my girlfriend?” _

Keiko’s mind fast then forwarded to the first warning that L had given her after she had started dating Light, _ “please remember, although you are a lot less suspicious of him, there’s still a 5 or 6% chance in my mind that Light Yagami is Kira. And, if Light Yagami actually is Kira, like I suspect him to be then...then please don’t let him fool you any longer, Keiko-chan. After all, you deserve so much better than to be with a mass murderer.” _

_ If that’s true then I didn’t become his girlfriend at that time...if Light is Kira, then I just became his puppet… _

Keiko could feel Light looking over in her direction, making her heart skip a beat. She bit her lip in an attempt to stop herself from tearing up. She knew that becoming an emotional wreck right now wouldn’t do her any good. It wouldn't change the past. 

_ Stay strong, Keiko Kagami. _

“I see...well, that’s fair enough, Ryuzaki-san,” Light finally replied. “If I were Kira, then that side of me would have no qualms about using people...but, Keiko-chan,” he walked towards where she was sitting next to L, focusing all of his attention on her, “trust me when I say that the fact I had you come over when I was under surveillance was entirely a coincidence...while all other evidence against me might end up to be true, I swear that one isn’t true...because it’s not actually evidence. I wanted you over because I truly enjoyed your company, not to appear less suspicious to L…”

He trailed off, and gently placed his hand on top of hers. Keiko knew she probably should have slapped his hand away, but somehow, she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Light stared straight into her eyes, and continued on, “I know that it makes no difference for me to say now, but...I want you to realize that I truly care for you, Kagami-san, and I meant what I said the other day about Misa being the one to kiss me without my consent...if I am Kira, then she had to have found that out right after we ran into her that day somehow, and that must have been why she liked me so much, because I am Kira and it appears that there is a lot of evidence to convict her of being the Second Kira…”

Upon mentioning Misa, Keiko recalled the first time Misa had hung out with her without Light around. Specifically, she recalled Misa’s words,  _ “r-right, a fresh start...so that means there’s a lot more to come...heheh.” _

_ ‘A lot more to come’...Misa could have been referring to the fact that it would be revealed that Light could he Kira, and she the Second Kira, though she refuses to admit it... _

Light brought Keiko out of her reverie when he started to lightly squeeze her hand, his eyes still refusing to leave hers, “that being said, I’m sorry about how things turned out.”

_ Oh goodness, I could fall into his eyes right now if I’m not careful, _ Keiko thought,  _ but...as much as I want to believe what he’s saying, to accept it as the truth, I cannot allow myself to be swayed by him right now. No matter what the truth actually is, it wouldn’t change the fact that even he suspects that he could be Kira at this point, and if he is Kira, then the last thing I want to do is willingly get myself involved with him again.  _

“Y-you’re changing the topic, Light-kun,” Keiko quietly murmured, no longer meeting Light’s intense gaze. Somehow, she also found the strength to remove his hand from its current place on top of hers. She could have sworn that, out of the corner of her eye, she saw the corners of L’s mouth slightly curl upwards before returning back to their normal position.

“I-I guess you’re right, Keiko-chan…” Light replied, “again, I’m sorry...anyway, I didn’t know that I was being watched, Ryuzaki-san…and I don’t know, even if you didn’t see anything of interest happen while I was under surveillance, I still think I could be Kira...because, I have to admit, I have found myself thinking before that some criminals deserve to die...if I can think like Kira, then how can I be sure that I’m not actually him?”

“Hold on, Light-kun!” Matsuda suddenly interrupted. He turned to face Light, “I feel the exact same way...I, too, have found myself thinking that some people would be better off dead, as they don’t play by society’s rules...but still, that doesn’t mean that we are going to go out and kill people, am I right? Besides, as Ryuzaki-san said earlier, criminals were still being killed even when you had no knowledge of them...I mean the surveillance cameras proved your innocence, didn’t they?”

“Well, no…” Aizawa cut in, “to be honest, we were short of investigators at that time...so we were only able to observe Light Yagami while he was at home. The truth is, we weren’t able to watch him every hour of the day...and when we got Kagami-san on board to investigate with us, she was only able to keep an eye on him while the two of them were together...but of course, if Light is actually Kira, there’s no way he would have wanted to reveal himself to her. So it’s possible that he could have killed criminals while not at home, and not while with her.”

“Honestly, I don’t like the way that this is going at all,” L admitted, entering back into the conversation, “...but at this point, what choice do I have? It is clear that I now need to have Light Yagami fully restrained...he will be placed in solitary confinement under the suspicion that he is Kira.”

“What?! Ryuzaki-san, you can’t!” Light’s father boomed. He sighed deeply, “there has to be some other way…”

“You seriously want us to confine him?” Matsuda questioned.

Keiko bit her lip. While she knew that confining Light was probably the best option at the moment, she also knew that it meant she would then have to keep watch over him. Keep watch over her ex-boyfriend.

She wasn’t sure how she felt about that, she worried that perhaps she wouldn’t be strong enough to handle it. However, she also knew that she wouldn’t be unable to rest until she was able to confirm, once and for all, that Light Yagami was or wasn’t actually Kira. 

“If we are going to do this, then it has to happen immediately,” L commented. He glanced over at Light, “from this point on, you can’t be allowed to go anywhere where I, or another member of the Task Force, can’t see you.”

“This is crazy!” Mr. Yagami bellowed out, “there’s no way that my son could be Kira...I know that he’s just not capable of it! You have to trust my judgement!”

Light gave a soft sigh, “it’s okay, dad…”

“Please, just...stop this, Light,” his father said to him, “you have to know how much it hurts me to hear you accuse yourself of being a mass murderer.”

“Listen, dad...something has to be done about this...as long as I’m having these kinds of doubts, I can’t work with you or the rest of the Task Force to catch Kira,” Light responded. He then turned towards L, a serious expression on his face, “Ryuzaki-san, please promise me something...until you can say with absolute certainty that I'm not Kira, you cannot set me free from my confinement, no matter what I might say, or what condition I might be in…”

L nodded, “ of course, I understand, Light Yagami...you have my word.”

“I-I can’t believe this,” the chief muttered.

The detective turned towards him, “Yagami-san, could you please come up with some sort of excuse for Light’s absence? Something believable that you can tell your family. This has to be done as soon as possible.”

“W-what, you have to understand, this is all so sudden, Ryuzaki-san…” the chief gave a sigh, “I have no idea what I could say…and I still see no reason why he should even be imprisoned.”

“Please,” Light said softly, “let it go, dad...you have to understand, if I don’t do this, I won’t be able to live with myself.”

Light’s father gave a small gasp, “b-but son, do you really mean that?”

Light nodded, “yeah, I do...I believe that, by giving up my personal freedoms, I will be able to defeat this fear that Kira somehow lurks within me…”

“Well, now, Yagami-san, since you’ve heard Light say it himself,” L responded, “surely now you won’t oppose us detaining him…”

“I-I suppose I can’t at this point,” Mr. Yagami commented, “do what you feel you have to do, Ryuzaki-san.”

“Alright...then it’s been settled...Aizawa-san, please take him away,” L commanded, pointing a finger in Aizawa’s direction, “Watari-san will then meet you outside of the hotel, and he will take Light-kun from there…”

“Right…” the man gave a grunt, and handcuffed Light’s hands. He then escorted him outside of the hotel room.

When the doors closed behind Aizawa and Light, Keiko let out a breath she didn’t even know she had been holding. Just like that, Light Yagami, her ex-boyfriend, would be taken under surveillance.

  
  
  



	27. Chapter Twenty-seven: Speculation

 

 

**Day One of Surveillance**

Light’s POV:

The cell that Aizawa and Watari put Light was put in wasn’t that large. Of course, he hadn’t really expected it to be all that big. It was a cell after all. However, it wasn’t that small, either. It appeared that there was just enough room for him to comfortably move around if he wanted to. There was a folding chair sitting in the middle and in the corner of the cell there was a single bed with a light blanket draped across. 

_ Heh, so this is where I’ll be staying for the time being... _

Light took a seat on the dingy bed and kept his head down. His shaggy, light brown hair hid his eyes as he stared out in front of him, looking at nothing in particular. There wasn’t much in the cell for him to look at anyway. 

_ Hmm...so all I have to do next is wait until it is time for me to get rid of the notebook. It will be at least a week until I can safely get rid of my Death Note...but it should be about fourteen days at least until there are more victims. Afterwards, with criminals dying and me still in this cell, it should become pretty apparent to both Keiko and L that I’m innocent. That I’m not Kira. Once I’ve proved my innocence once and for all, L has to let me go. He can’t keep me locked up in here for forever, there’s no way the other members of the Task Force would allow that...no. There’s no way that Keiko would allow that.  _

Light smirked a little as he thought about his ex-girlfriend. He had to admit, a part of him sort of missed her.

_ I know that Keiko still cares a lot about me, despite the fact that she thinks I cheated on her for Misa. I also know that she has a soft spot for me, I’ve seen proof of it...and once I’m free, I’m confident I can properly gain her trust again. I know that I will want her to trust me because I’m fairly certain that, even without my memories of the death note, I will want her to be my girlfriend again… _

He let out a soft sigh. 

_ I will want her to become my girlfriend again because...well…because at this point, it’s a bit hard for me to deny the fact that I have feelings for her. That I’m attracted to her. However, in this case, my attraction to her is a good thing. If I can get her back, things will better work in my favor. Once I regain my memories, I will easily be able to kill off L...and if she’s back with me, she won’t be a threat to me. After all, I have proof that if I have her wrapped around my finger, there’s no way that she would suspect me. As long as Misa Amane doesn’t interfere with my relationship again, things should go my way. Well, I can kill her off after L dies anyway...and so that means, after L has been killed off, I will probably take over L’s place and there will be no one of significance attempting to challenge me. Meaning…I will be free to reign as Kira, heh. I will reign as the god of a new world, one free of crime…  _

Light felt the edges of his mouth curling into a smirk. 

“I know I can do this…” he whispered quietly to himself. He was so quiet that no one, not even Ryuk, could hear him. 

The sudden sound of Ryuk’s deep voice snapped Light out of his little reverie, “so, I suppose that, for the time being, apples are out of the question?”

_ Heh...of course, Ryuk...I’m sorry but you’ll just have to stick it out for the time being.  _

Light fought the urge to roll his eyes at his dramatic shinigami and then moved his head so that he was directly facing the camera. He had no doubt that both L and Keiko had to be watching him, carefully scrutinizing his every move. 

He flashed them a grin and slightly raised his eyebrows, “I’m sorry, I’m afraid I won’t be that entertaining to you guys…”

_ Mark my words, L, you won’t see me doing anything suspicious. Nothing I do while in this cell will reveal the fact that I’m Kira, and in fourteen days I will no longer be him...and once that happens, you will be painfully aware of that fact. I know I will get through this...I have to, no matter what.  _

 

Keiko’s POV:

“I’m sorry, I’m afraid that I won’t be that entertaining to you guys…” Keiko heard Light announce, his eyebrows were slightly raised in amusement. Even though she knew there was no way Light could see her reaction, she rolled her eyes at him, watching as he straight straight into the camera.

Light then flashed them a mischievous grin. It was almost as if he knew exactly what Keiko’s response to him was, which made Keiko’s heart plummet deep into her chest. She hadn’t seen his smile in a little over a week. The last time she saw him smiling like that was on the day she broke up with him. In fact, she had last seen his smile just moments before it happened. 

Seeing Light smile now just needlessly reminded Keiko of how things used to be with Light Yagami. How things were before she had witnessed the kiss that broke her heart, before either she or Light had met Misa Amane. 

Keiko took a deep breath, attempting to force all thoughts of the past out of her mind. It wouldn't do her any good now. She knew that it would only distract her from the investigation and she had to prove she was serious about her work, no matter what her own personal feelings were towards the accused.

“Hmm,” L muttered beside her. His eyes were narrowed and his thumb was lazily resting near his mouth, “you say you won’t be that entertaining, huh? Well, don’t be so sure about that, Light Yagami…”

She heard Matsuda let out a soft sigh behind her, “you know...this whole thing is just ridiculous…I can’t believe Light willingly subjected himself to this.”

“I can,” was L’s emotionless reply. “And if Light Yagami is Kira, then we will find out soon enough.”

“Well...I know for a fact that Light Yagami isn’t Kira! He just isn’t capable of doing something like that. Light’s not evil,” Matsuda responded, his voice raising slightly. Although Keiko couldn’t see him, she bet that he was now crossing his arms defensively over his chest.

“Unfortunately, there’s no way to tell for sure at a glance what a person is or isn’t capable of. Sure Light’s a good kid on the surface but who knows what happens when he thinks no one is looking,” Aizawa commented, “that being said, we will just have to wait and see if any new criminals are killed. If there aren’t any new victims, then we can safely assume that Light Yagami is Kira. It doesn’t matter how much you want him to be innocent, if he’s Kira, he’s Kira, and we will find out.”

“Listen to him, Matsuda-san,” Keiko responded, taking a glance at the man standing behind her. It took her a lot of effort to try and keep her voice level as she added, “because he’s right. I don’t want to believe that Light Yagami...my ex-boyfriend...is Kira either…but all of the evidence we have so far points to him...unfortunately, it’s actually the only thing that makes sense at this point.”

“Keiko-chan,” Matsuda choked out. Keiko could see the emotion hidden deep within his dark eyes, “please...I know you’re hurting a lot right now, but please...try to have some faith in him...even if all evidence points to him, you of all people must know that he wouldn’t do something like that.”

“Quite frankly, that’s hard to do right now,” Keiko replied rather shortly. She took a deep breath, “whether Light meant to or not, he still hurt me...and now he’s under suspicion. This means at this point, my personal judgement doesn’t matter. The facts are the facts and if he ends up guilty there’s nothing we can do about it. No matter how we feel, it won’t change things.”

“Exactly,” L interjected, giving the dark haired policemen a stern look, “so please don’t let your bias cloud your judgement, Matsuda-san.”

Although it looked like he wanted to protest, Matsuda kept his mouth shut. Keiko figured that he must have known that it didn’t matter what he said, neither she or L would be swayed by his words. She also supposed she looked rather bitter, but she sort of was. After all, she had just gotten hurt by someone she cared about. She was emotionally shattered. 

As if he had suddenly grown bored of the current events, L leaned forward, grabbing the remote control. He clicked a button, changing the channels on the monitor. Soon, instead of Light Yagami, the screen was filled with Misa Amane. She was still helplessly tied up with her eyes covered.

While Keiko didn’t like the way that L was handling things with Misa Amane, she knew there was no other alternative. If she was the Second Kira and could only kill by seeing a face, then the Task Force had no choice but to cover her eyes and ensure that there was no way she could escape.

“Watari-san,” the detective called out to the older gentleman as he clicked the speaker button on his laptop, “has there been any progress with Amane-san?”

“No,” came Watari’s gruff reply, “I’m afraid not…”

“Well, that’s rather unfortunate…but I can’t say that I wasn’t expecting that. I figured that she would refuse to speak,” L responded. “Please continue to keep an eye on her, and let us know if anything of interest is happening.”

“Yes, I understand, Ryuzaki-san,” Watari replied once more. With that, L turned off the monitor and closed his eyes a moment. 

Aside from the click clacking of someone’s shoes as they neared the door, the room was silent. The sounds of the footsteps grew louder and soon enough, the doors of the hotel room swung open to reveal Light Yagami’s father. 

The chief slowly stepped into the hotel room, glancing over at everyone with a serious expression on his face. His gaze finally fixed on the detective, “I’m back, Ryuzaki-san…”

“So, does this mean that you’ve taken care of things with your family?” L asked, casting a lazy glance in his direction. 

Light’s father gave a quick nod, “yes. Don't worry, everything’s been taken care of.”

Keiko watched as L smirked, “wonderful.”

“I told them that, because of his near perfect grades, Light was given a scholarship in order to pursue a police criminology study abroad program this semester,” the chief gave a sigh, “while I don’t like lying to my family, I knew that it had to be done...and that was the most believable thing I could come up with. I hope that’s alright with you, Ryuzaki-san.”

“Ah, yes, that’s fine. I commend you on finding such a good excuse to use. I had Watari-san inform the school that your son was taking time off for personal reasons, so you will be fine there as well. There should be no complications,” L replied. He looked over at the chief, “now...I assume that wasn’t all you came here to tell me…”

“You’re right, Ryuzaki-san, that’s not all I came here to say…” Soichiro Yagami stepped closer to the raven haired detective, “in fact...I came here to say that I’d like to request that, for the time being, you take me off this investigation!”

“B-but chief!” Matsuda stuttered out, an incredulous look on his face, “why on earth would you request such a thing?!”

Keiko, however, wasn’t the least bit surprised at his request. Given his personality, she figured that Light’s father would ask for such a thing. She also had no doubt that L had been planning on him announcing that as well. 

Light’s father continued on, “I’ve thought about it, and the fact is...we are holding my son, Light Yagami, as a prime suspect...given that, it’s not appropriate for me to be here. When we spoke earlier, my feelings got in the way of the investigation. It’s impossible for me to be objective in this situation.”

“Yes, yes, you’re right, Yagami-san,” L nodded, “in a case like this, we can’t let personal feelings get in the way. So I also agree that it’s best we don’t have you working here with us for the time being.”

Mr. Yagami nodded as well, “yes, and in truth...if the Task Force concluded that my son is really Kira, I don’t know what I’d be capable of.”

“I agree with you there...to be honest, I wondered what you might do in that situation…” L closed his eyes a moment, deep in thought. “I believe that you’d kill your son and then yourself.”

The chief gave a sad sigh, “yes...and that being said, I have to ask that you confine me as well, Ryuzaki-san!” 

Keiko could hear the sudden gasps from both Aizawa and Matsuda. She watched as the younger policeman took a small step forward towards his superior, an incredulous look on his face, “you...you’d really go that far, chief?”

Light’s father solemnly nodded, “yes...I’m afraid, given the circumstances, that this will be necessary. You see, at the moment I’m calm...but, to be honest, I’m not sure how much more of this I can take!”

L shifted slightly in his seat, “I thought you might say that, so I spoke with Watari-san earlier and had him make the necessary arrangements...but your confinement will be different. You will keep your cell phone turned on and maintain regular contact with your family and friends, and keep them updated on your son as well, just tell them that he’s having a good time studying abroad. That should satisfy them, correct? Oh...you also won’t tell Light about your confinement...if he does request to call you at some point, he must be made to believe that you’re still right here at headquarters. And while you are in confinement, we will be giving you continuous updates on the investigation, so you will be up to date with what’s happening...how does that sound to you, Yagami-san?”

“I am grateful, that sounds fair. Thank you, Ryuzaki-san,” Mr. Yagami closed his eyes and let out a sigh of relief. 

“Great,” L turned towards Aizawa and Matsuda, “I will be entrusting the two of you with escorting the chief to his confinement. Watari-san will take over once you’ve arrived at the secondary location. I’d leave as soon as possible.”

“We understand, Ryuzaki-san,” Aizawa commented, and he lightly nudged the younger, more hesitant policemen standing right next to him, “come on...let’s get going, Matsuda-san…delaying won’t change anything.”

With that, Matsuda reluctantly made his move. The two of them handcuffed the chief, and walked him outside of the hotel room. 

As they were leaving, Keiko could hear Matsuda grumbling, “it feels a little weird apprehending Yagami-san like this...but I suppose it can’t be helped…”

The door to the hotel room closed with a rather loud thud, leaving Keiko now totally alone with the great detective. Keiko let out a soft sigh, running a hand through her light brown hair. There was a lot running through her mind at the moment and she was torn.

_ Given the current circumstances, perhaps it would be better if I were to stay at headquarters full time to investigate….after all, it’s not like I’ve been getting much school work done lately anyway. It’s a bit hard to focus with the investigation constantly looming over my head. At this point, I’m very personally invested. However…what would I tell my mom? It’s not like I could tell her the truth, and who knows how long L will keep Light and Misa under surveillance. He doesn’t like being wrong, so I know that he’s dead set on keeping them locked up until he can prove that they’re Kira and the Second Kira.  _

“You seem a bit distant right now...is there something on your mind, Kagami-san?” the sound of L’s voice broke Keiko away from her thoughts. She could feel his eyes burning a hole in the back of her head. 

“Actually, Ryuzaki-san, there is…” Keiko turned to towards the raven haired detective, who was staring at her intently with round, unblinking eyes. “I was thinking and, given my personal interest in this investigation, perhaps it would be best if I stayed here at headquarters to investigate with you…because, to be honest, I don’t want to let Misa Amane or my ex-boyfriend out of my sight until I know for sure whether or not they’re guilty or innocent...otherwise, I think I might go crazy. At this point I can’t deny that I’m way too personally involved in this case. It’s affecting my focus. It’s so bad that I can’t concentrate on anything else, even my university classes...I want to be here until the very end, no matter what the result is….I want to solve this case, and make my father in heaven proud...”

“Hmmm,” L looked at her, there was a glint in his eyes and a smirk forming on his face, “you know, I figured you might say something like that, Keiko-chan…”

Keiko felt the corners of her lips tugging into a smile as she rolled her eyes at the detective. Her anger at him had almost entirely worn off by now, she was just determined to get to the bottom of the case. 

She could understand why he did what he did, though that still didn’t excuse his actions, but there was nothing that could be done about it now. There was no going back, she just had to keep moving forward. 

“Of course you did...how silly of me, I should have known…” Keiko started, “and let me guess, you already made arrangements for me to stay here.”

“But of course,” he replied, still smirking at her. He brought his thumb up to his mouth, “it’s been arranged for your personal privacy that you will have your own suite, but...your suite and my suite will have to be connected and Watari-san and I will have to have a spare key...I know that’s probably not ideal, but given the circumstances that’s best in case there happens to be an emergency. That way we will easily be able to contact each other. However, as always, Task Force headquarters will be stationed in my hotel room. How does that sound to you?”

“Mm, that actually sounds pretty good...thank you, Ryuzaki-san. Like you said, I know it’s not ideal, but it’s still the best thing you can do for me, so I appreciate that,” Keiko offered L a soft smile, but a sudden thought invaded her mind. She furrowed her eyebrows and bit her lip, “however...there’s one thing I’m worried about-”

“Kagami-san, if you’re worried about what to tell your mother, then don’t be. I have a pretty good idea of what you should tell her,” L responded.

“W-what’s that?” Keiko asked, running a hand through her hair.

“Well…if I’ve assumed correctly, you didn’t actually inform your mother that you broke up with Light Yagami, did you, Kagami-san?” L questioned, casting a quick glance in Keiko’s general direction.    

Her guilty face explained everything. She nodded her head, “you’re right...I didn’t tell her….to be entirely honest, I couldn’t bear to tell her what happened. My mom was so excited that I was dating again, and she really liked Light-kun. She especially liked the fact that he wanted to be a policemen, like his father. She thought, because of that, Light was a good match for me…” Keiko suddenly trailed off, trying to ignore the sadness that was now threatening to overwhelm her.

“I see,” L responded, his eyebrows raising slightly, “so my deduction was right. In that case, Watari-san can arrange things so that your mother thinks you won a scholarship for the same study abroad program as Light Yagami...with what you’ve just told me I can pretty safely assume that if your mother thinks that you are doing a study abroad program with your boyfriend, she probably won’t be too worried about you as she will know you will be in safe hands. That being said, as long as you give your mother regular updates, she should be fine...and as far as To-Oh University will be concerned, like Light-kun, they will be informed that you will be taking some time off for personal reasons. What do you think about that?” 

_ Of course, it’s actually a pretty obvious solution to my little problem...why didn’t I think of that myself?  _ Keiko sighed,  _ well...probably because I didn’t think of that as a valid option because I broke up with Light...however if my mom doesn’t know, then that really doesn’t matter. Technically Light will be around anyway...well, he’ll be behind a screen that I’m monitoring, but that still counts, right? _

She nodded after a moment, “hmm...you know what? That’s actually a pretty good idea, Ryuzaki-san.”

A smug look found its way onto L’s face as he replied, “of course it’s a good idea...after all, I came up with it.”

_ Well look at him, he’s as weird and annoying as usual...is this perhaps his attempt at making a joke? _

Keiko didn’t even attempt to hide the fact that she was now rolling her eyes at him, “don’t go getting a big head now; I can barely tolerate you as is…”

“Hmm,” the detective started to say, the corners of his mouth turned upwards slightly in amusement as he looked over at Keiko, “you know...that implies that you can tolerate me now, even if it is just a little bit.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Keiko raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms as she did so, “but honestly, you’re really pushing it with that attitude of yours.”

_ I’m sort of kidding, but I’m also sort of serious...after all, he’s always so frustrating at times…it’s because he’s always so guarded, so mysterious...it’s annoying.   _

Keiko watched as there was a short burst of laughter coming from the detective. It was very brief, but unmistakable. In that moment, Keiko wanted nothing more than to wipe that look of amusement off of his face. He was looking far too entertained by her.

_ What? Am I that funny to him? Is he seriously laughing at me right now?! _

She hadn’t been irritated before, but now she could feel it bubbling up inside of her. One thing was for sure, she didn’t like being laughed at. It made her feel rather uncomfortable, and she didn’t think she was being that humourous. 

Keiko narrowed her eyes at him, “what’s so funny, Ryuzaki-san?”

L scooted his chair a little closer to hers. As he did so, his dark eyes never left hers, making Keiko’s stomach flutter a little. 

“It’s your reaction…” he explained to her, “you see, to me, you’re quite an interesting person, Kagami-san...you are sharp witted and intelligent but you’re also very easy to read. You might not realize it, but you let your emotions show, because of that, it’s not that hard for me to guess what you might be thinking. That being said, it’s fun watching you get all worked up…”

_ Wonderful...so he basically just admitted he likes torturing me because I’m an easy target for him...and now I’m going to be stuck working with him nearly twenty-four/seven! Well...not yet, but very soon!  _

Keiko could feel the annoyance coursing through her veins, but she tried to maintain her cool composure as much as possible as she got up from her chair, no longer wanting to deal with the detective and his confusing attitude. However, she couldn’t argue with what he had said, because she knew it was true, she often let her emotions get to her. She hated how easy she was to read. It was something she was trying hard to work on, especially considering her ex-boyfriend was the investigation’s prime suspect. 

“I’m going home,” she announced, even though she knew L probably had already figured that. “I want to enjoy just one more day of normalcy before spending the rest of my life here at headquarters.”

“Yes, do that. Make sure you pack up anything you want to bring here as well. After all, I have a feeling we might be here a while,” L responded. 

_ Of course, he’s back to acting like his usual self. He’s back to acting like nothing happened, like he didn’t say anything to annoy me on purpose just moments ago... _

Keiko sighed, feeling his eyes on hers as she opened the door. She couldn’t wait to get home, to enjoy what little time she had left before stepping back into the investigation full throttle. 

“I’ll see you soon, Keiko-chan,” he softly called out. Keiko ignored him, stepping outside of the hotel room. 

  
  
  
  
  
  



	28. Chapter Twenty-eight: Transition

Chapter Twenty-eight: Transition

 

**Day Two of Surveillance**

L’s POV:

“Hey...Mr. Stalker,” Misa suddenly started. Ryuzaki lazily cast a glance in her monitor’s direction, watching her carefully, looking for anything suspicious as she finished her thought, “I really want to take a bath...I’m fairly positive you already know where I live, don’t you? After all, I wouldn’t be here if you didn’t...so could you please bring me some clean clothes? It’s been days since I last bathed...I feel so disgusting right now...”

_ So, still you’re still refusing to cooperate with the investigation, huh? How long are you going to keep up with this little stalker act? _

“Please, Mr. Stalker,” Misa continued on in a pleading tone, “even if you don’t get me some of my own clothes, as long as you at least give me a bath, I will wear whatever outfit you want me to. After all, there must be some sort of outfit you want to see me in. You want to dress Misa Misa up, don’t you? You pervert…” 

At Misa’s words, the corners of L’s lips turned upwards into a slight smirk, “so...I’m still a pervert to you, huh?”

“And just when I thought the situation couldn’t get any more bizarre,” Aizawa commented, his hands on his hips.

“Well...that’s enough of that,” L murmured, flipping through the channels so that he could get a glance of Soichiro Yagami. Light’s father had only been in confinement for a day, but yet he already looked pretty worn out. His face was furrowed, and he looked deep in thought. It was clear that he was quite concerned about his son.

“He isn’t looking so good...I feel so sorry for the chief right now,” Matsuda gave a sigh, “this investigation must really be taking a toll on him.”

“This investigation is taking quite a toll on all of us, Matsuda-san,” Aizawa replied. L imagined that the policemen was probably thinking about his wife and young daughter at home, “it’s just hitting him the hardest.”

After a moment of watching the chief, L shifted the monitors once more so that Light was on screen. He was sitting in front of his bed on the floor. His light brown hair was covering up most of his face so that his eyes were hidden.

The detective studied light a moment, and then decided to make his presence known, “Light Yagami.”

As soon as Light heard the detective’s voice, his head snapped up. He immediately looked towards the camera in the corner of the his little cell, his eyes widened. It was clear that he was desperate for some news.  

“R-Ryuzaki-san, please talk to me...what’s happening? Have any new criminals been identified so far? Anything that Kira would be likely to target? And if so, have any of them been killed?” Light called out.

“Hmm…” L raised an eyebrow, “in fact, quite a few criminals names have been broadcasted the last couple days...but since you’ve been detained, we haven’t had a single report of anyone being killed by Kira. Now...in't that fascinating?”

He watched as Light’s face scrunched up, “wait...no one’s been killed? Are you sure, Ryuzaki-san?”

“Yes, I’m sure,” L replied tartily, “as I said, since you’ve been apprehended, there haven’t been any new Kira victims.”

Light let out a deep sigh, looking rather forlorn, “I see...so I assume it’s only a matter of time before I’m convicted of being Kira.”

“I wouldn’t say that quite yet, Light-kun. After all, it’s only been two days. However, that does raise my suspicions of you,” L responded.

“Well I suppose that’s only fair given the situation...but you’re right, Ryuzaki-san, at this point, anything could happen,” Light rolled his head back so that it was resting on the bed, “I’ll just have to continue waiting.”

“Yes,” L muttered quietly, “we’ll all be waiting…”

Even though the detective kept his usual composure while speaking with Light, he had to admit he himself was a little baffled at the current situation. It wasn’t what he was expecting at all. In fact, he had expected the opposite. 

L rested his thumb near his mouth, his eyes were glued to Light Yagami. 

_ What’s going on here? I thought that the murders would continue, even after I had Light confined...instead, they’ve stopped completely...hmm...Light was the one who asked to be confined in the first place. If this continues, it’ll only strengthen the argument that he is Kira. the only question left at that point would be whether or not he was conscious of his actions while being Kira. Does he really think that’s going to work? Does he think that he will be let off the hook if he can just prove that he wasn’t conscious of being Kira? _

The detective shook his head.

_ No way...that can’t be. It’s not like Light Yagami...no, even more, it’s not like Kira to do something like that...so what’s going to happen next, I wonder? _

 

Keiko’s POV:

Keiko Kagami wasn’t normally one who would wear a fake smile. Whether she liked it or not, her emotions were usually always on display. However, the whole day she was at home, and perhaps the last day she would spend at home for days, maybe even months, she was careful that her true emotions didn’t show through. She wore that fake smile all day, despite the fact that all she wanted to do was break down and cry. It was all for her mother’s sake, of course. There was no way she wanted to let on that anything was amiss. 

She was worried because she thought that if her mother had some sort of clue as to how she was really feeling, she would somehow try to stop her from leaving on that “study abroad program”. Of course, Kotoko Kagami had no idea that her daughter wasn’t really leaving on a school trip. She had no idea that her daughter was investigating the Kira case, the most dangerous case in history, and Keiko wanted to keep it that way. 

While Kotoko knew that her daughter wanted to follow along in her father’s footsteps and become a detective, she was still in the dark. Keiko knew that her mother did all she could to support her dreams, but she also knew that her mother didn’t want her to do anything that would endanger her life, no matter what. 

After all, since she had lost her husband, her daughter was all she had left. This was why Keiko didn’t tell her mother she was working on the Kira case. 

Instead, she told her mother that she was buckling down on her studies especially now that she was a university student. With the sudden “study abroad program scholarship”, her excuse was pretty believable. As long as her mother didn’t find out the truth, Keiko would be okay.

Besides, there was no way that Keiko could leave the Kira investigation. Not now, not when she was so emotionally invested in it. 

While Keiko’s mother didn’t like the idea of Keiko leaving so suddenly, she also didn’t argue it too much. To her, Keiko was a university student that was capable of making her own choices, even if she didn’t personally like the choices all that much.

Keiko sighed as she thought on the events that took place earlier that day. Her mother had bombarded her with questions as soon as she headed downstairs and into the kitchen.

_ “A representative from To-Oh University called earlier today, he told me his name was Watari-san. He told me everything...so...why didn’t you tell me about this study abroad scholarship program sooner?” Her mother had asked her, the phone was still in her hand, and there was a hard look in her eyes. _

_ Keiko gulped, thinking carefully about what to say. There was no way she could say what she really wanted to say of course. _

_ ‘Because the scholarship study abroad program doesn’t really exist. Because I’m really investigating the Kira case. Because I’m lying to you about everything.’ Those were all things that ran through her mind. _

_ Think Keiko Kagami, think, she thought to herself. _

_ “Because I didn’t want to hurt your feelings by I telling you I wanted to go away for a long time,” Keiko finally settled on saying after a long moment.  _

_ Even though almost everything else that Keiko and Watari had said had been a lie, that part was actually true. It just wasn’t the whole truth. Keiko was certain that if her mother knew the whole truth, she would try to stop her her. _

_ Upon hearing her daughter’s response, Kotoko’s hard gaze on her daughter softened considerably, “Keiko…” _

_ While her mother hadn’t exactly been thrilled at the prospect of Keiko going away for a while, she agreed that the study abroad program would benefit her daughter’s education.  _

_ “As long as that boyfriend of yours, Light-kun, is around, I know that you will be in good hands. He’s a good guy, he should be able to protect you in case a situation arises,” her mother had told her later on that day while the two were packing up Keiko’s things, placing everything in her floral suitcase. _

_ It was hard lying to her mother like this. Keiko had to bite her lip in order to hide her true feelings.  _

_ There was no easy way she could tell her mother that Light Yagami had been apprehended under the suspicion that he could be Kira. If L concluded that her ex-boyfriend really was Kira, then he definitely wouldn’t be the good guy that her mother thought he was. At that point, Keiko wouldn’t need to be under his protection, instead she would have to be protected from him.  _

The thought of Light being Kira scared her, so she tried not to think of it. However, even though Keiko tried to brush these kinds of thoughts away, they were still there in the back of her mind. No matter what she did, it seemed she couldn’t keep them away. 

By some miracle, she managed to go the whole day without her mother noticing that something was wrong. It was only when Keiko was getting ready for bed later on that evening that she allowed herself to feel the full effect of everything that had happened in the past week or so. Her room had welcomed her, allowed her to let her guard down. She was finally free to let out all the emotions she had kept locked inside of her for so long.

Of course, she had locked her door and made sure that her mother couldn’t hear her as she cried. There was no easy way to tell her mother that she was crying because she didn’t know when she would be home next, that she was crying because everything that she and Watari told her had been a lie. 

She wasn’t going on a school study abroad program, she wasn’t even going to school anymore for the time being. Not to mention the fact that Light Yagami was actually now her ex-boyfriend and the famous detective L’s prime suspect in the Kira investigation that she had secretly been working on. 

Keiko cried softly until her pillow. She cried until there were no more tears left. It had taken quite a while, but once she had let it all out, Keiko actually felt a little better. Of course, she was by no means back to normal, but after that sudden release of emotion, she almost felt ready for whatever life was now going to throw at her.

_ I’m going to try to be stronger, more resilient from now on. After all, if I want to continue working on the Kira case, I have to be. I can’t let my emotions get the best of me. _

She sat up in her bed, glancing over at her alarm clock. It was now a quarter past midnight, meaning she had been wallowing in self pity for the last couple hours. Unfortunately for her, she didn’t even feel tired.

_ Great…and Watari’s going to be here first thing in the morning. Looks like I won’t be getting that much sleep tonight. _

 

**Day Three of Surveillance**

Keiko’s POV:

The following morning was quite rough for Keiko because of how sleep deprived she was. She had laid awake almost all night, thinking of all the changes to come now that she would be spending almost all of her time at the hotel. While she knew she was free to leave and go back home at any time, she also knew that she wouldn’t allow herself to leave until the Kira case was solved.

While Keiko wanted the case to be solved quickly, she also didn’t want the case to be solved quickly. It was like a double edged sword. If the case was solved quickly then she could go back to her normal life and study once more, but that would also mean that Light Yagami and Misa Amane were actually Kira and the Second Kira, which would be absolutely devastating. That would have meant that Keiko had been too big of a fool to realize it before.

On the other hand, if the case wasn’t solved quickly, then it would mean the two of them were innocent, which would be a good thing, but would also mean the Task Force would have to work even harder to catch the real Kira and Second Kira. 

Keiko weighed the pros and cons on the drive over to the hotel. While she wanted to solve the case quickly, she also didn’t want her ex-boyfriend or ex friend to be Kira. After a while she decided that, no matter what, it seemed like she couldn’t win. A soft sigh fell from her lips, and she fiddled with the zipper of her jacket.

“Kagami-san.”

The sound of Watari’s voice lifted her from her reverie, “hmm?”

“It’s my duty to inform you that we’ve arrived,” the elder gentleman announced once he had her full attention. 

She looked out the window of the car, seeing a hotel’s welcome sign. It was a new hotel, one they hadn’t been to yet. Another quick glance around the rest of the parking lot informed her that none of the other police officers had arrived yet at their new location. She suspected that L wanted her to get settled in before the rest of the Task Force arrived.

“R-right,” Keiko responded. She let Watari open the door for her and stepped out of the car. The next few minutes to her were a complete blur. Her luggage had been toted up the stairs to her hotel suit, and both she and Watari had been given room keys. 

Her hotel room was much larger and much grander than she had expected it to be. Not that it would have mattered if it weren’t, as she was probably going to spend most of her time in Ryuzaki’s suite investigating with the rest of the Task Force anyway. Even so, she did think it was rather nice how comfortable her new bed was. She thought it was unfortunate that she couldn’t sleep in it right away. After all, the day was only just beginning and she still had quite a lot of work to do.

After finishing a short room tour and doing some minor suitcase unpacking, Keiko followed Watari through the door towards the detective’s adjoining suite. She realized once she arrived that his suite was almost like a complete replica of hers. The only major differences were the three big monitors that had been placed in front of the living room, all the police files that had been scattered about on the living room table, and the small coffee machine that had been placed near the back of the room. 

The great detective had taken a seat right in front of the monitors, which were showing a determined Light, a sleeping Misa, and the listless chief. She also noticed that the other policemen had shown up; Aizawa and Matsuda were sitting side by side on one of the couches near the monitors. 

Upon hearing that Keiko had entered the room, L turned around in his chair to face her. Keiko stepped closer towards the detective, watching intently as his dark eyes soon met hers. She had a funny feeling in her stomach, she guessed that it was probably her nerves, and she fought hard to ignore it.

“Welcome to the hotel, Kagami-san…” he started, “I trust your room is to your liking?”

Keiko could feel the questioning looks from the other policemen in the room. She shot a quick glance at Matsuda in particular, watching as he realized the full meaning of the detective’s words. 

“H-her r-room?” Matsuda stuttered out, his eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets, “R-Ryuzaki-san...you mean...she’s staying here at the hotel alone? With you?! Do you honestly feel that’s appropriate?!”

Keiko couldn’t help but to let out a small giggle as she studied the young policeman’s astonished face, which relieved some of the tension that had built up inside of her stomach from her little staredown with L. 

“Relax, Matsuda-san…” she started to say, but Matsuda didn’t stop to listen to her. 

Instead, he placed his hands on his hips, “relax? How am I supposed to relax when it sounds like he’s taking advantage of y-”

Keiko tried again, speaking louder over Matsuda, “I’m staying in a separate suite...so don’t worry, Matsuda-san. I assure you, there won’t be any funny business. Anyway, it’s only until we figure out for sure whether or not Light-kun and Misa-chan are guilty…”

“O-oh,” Matsuda gave an awkward little cough when he realized what Keiko had said. His face turned a little pink, “I misunderstood the situation then. I’m sorry.”

Keiko could have sworn that she heard Aizawa, who had been informed of the situation beforehand, mutter something about him jumping to conclusions way too often.

A small smile took over her own face, and Keiko decided to tease the policeman a little more, “besides...what kind of girl did you take me for?”

Matsuda’s face went from pink all the way to a deep shade of red as he realized the meaning of Keiko’s words, “s-sorry, Keiko-chan...I never meant to, uh, imply anything about you…you’re...not...I know you w-wouldn’t....”

Out of the corner of her eye she saw the corners of L’s mouth twitching upwards into a smirk. It was clear that the detective was enjoying watching Matsuda squirm.

After a moment of watching the young policeman fumble around with his words, Keiko decided to put him out of his misery, “don’t worry, Matsuda-san...I was only kidding around with you; I knew you didn’t mean it like that.”

She then turned towards L, “now, Ryuzaki-san, did I miss anything when I was absent the other day?”

The young detective shook his head, “it was only a day, Kagami-san. Not much has changed.”

“So there were no new Kira victims...but was anyone even broadcasted?” Keiko questioned, her heart pounding a little in her chest.

Aizawa looked over at Keiko, “yeah, quite a few criminals were broadcasted...but we still haven’t had a single new victim since Light Yagami was apprehended.”

Upon hearing Aizawa’s response, Keiko’s heart dropped. It wasn’t like she wanted new criminals to be killed, but she also didn’t want Light Yagami to be convicted as Kira.

“Don’t despair, Keiko-chan...after all, it’s only been two days,” Matsuda called out, waving his hands awkwardly in front of him, “I’m sure Kira will kill again soon, and when he does, Light-kun will be entirely cleared!”

Aizawa glared at Matsuda, which caused him to flush a little. The young policeman scratched his head, “I, uh, I didn’t mean it like that...I just meant…”

“We all know what you meant, Matsuda-san,” L interjected, “anyway I’d appreciate it if we stopped the mindless chatter and got to work.”

“R-right, I’m sorry, Ryuzaki-san. I’ll get right to work,” Matsuda grabbed a stack of papers off of the coffee table and started thumbing through them. Aizawa got to work on another stack, and Keiko took a seat next to the detective.

 

_ /timeskip/ _

L’s POV:

L’s eyes slowly drifted toward the brown haired girl sitting next to him. Three short hours had already gone by and they had gotten nowhere in the investigation. Misa had been sleeping the whole time and Light just stayed sitting in front of his bed, eyes cast away from the surveillance cameras. It was a little frustrating for L, he thought that something would have happened by now. After all, he knew that things couldn’t stay quiet for forever.

The detective also figured it was only a matter of time until Keiko realized that he was staring at her. Sure enough, a few seconds later, Keiko looked over at him. He could see the question written in her eyes.

“What is it, Ryuzaki-san?” Light’s ex-girlfriend asked him, tilting her head a little at the raven haired detective. 

L carefully inspected her face, trying to gauge how she was possibly feeling about the situation. 

There was no doubt in his mind that she was probably torn up on the inside. After all, her ex-boyfriend, who may or may not have cheated on her, was now in confinement. He got his answer when he saw the faint puffiness under her eyes. 

“My, Kagami-san,” he started, “were you crying again last night?”

There was really no point in him asking as he already knew what the answer, but he rather enjoyed watching her reaction.

Keiko had quickly averted her eyes. Her voice was quiet as she replied, “t-that’s really none of your business…”

“You’re right, it’s not,” L replied. He leaned closer towards her, so that their faces were only inches away from each other. While Keiko still refused to look at him, he could see her face was now tinged pink. He continued on, “...but I do have to make sure that you won’t be biased due to your personal feelings during this investigation.”

She lightly pushed him away, “don’t worry...as I said earlier, it doesn’t matter what my personal feelings are, if the evidence points to Light Yagami, then there’s nothing else I can do.”

A smirk formed on L’s face, “that’s good to hear Kagami-san...please make sure it stays that way. Especially because, the way things are looking, Light Yagami is Kira.”

Keiko gulped upon hearing the detectives words. She knew he was right.

“I-I know,” she choked out, attempting to ignore the fact that L eyes were still glued to her, “don’t worry. I’ll stay strong somehow.”

“I have no doubt you will,” the detective next to her muttered. Keiko mentally rolled her eyes. She had a feeling that things with L would only get more interesting, a feeling that she fought hard to ignore. 

  
  



	29. Chapter Twenty-nine: Irritation

 

**Day Five of Surveillance**

Keiko’s POV:

“You know what, Mr. Stalker,” Misa suddenly called out, grabbing both L and Keiko’s attention, “your video won’t sell if it’s just me sitting here the whole time…why don’t you loosen me up? It’ll be more...interesting...that way, and I promise I won’t run away. I’ll do whatever you say. Please. I just don’t want to be stuck like this anymore.”

Keiko heard the detective let out a soft sigh right next to her. It was clear that he was rather annoyed at the fact that Misa was still keeping up this whole stalker act. 

She had to admit, it was a little irritating to her as well. Keiko knew full well that Misa Amane wasn’t innocent. After all, she had willingly kissed Light knowing that he was in a relationship with Keiko at the time. It still bothered her that she had fallen for Misa’s little friendly act the first time around, and she wasn’t about to let that happen a second time. In fact, she wasn’t sure if she could trust Misa Amane ever again. 

“There she goes again,” L muttered. Keiko glanced over at him as he continued on, “I mean, surely she must realize that I won’t fall for her little charade...it’s way too ridiculous. Does she honestly think she can get out of this if she keeps this up?”

Keiko watched as L then shifted his attention from the blonde haired model to Soichiro Yagami. Her gaze followed his, and she also studied Light’s father, noticing his disheveled hair and bloodshot eyes. It wasn’t like Light or Misa were in mint condition either, the two of them also didn’t look that good. Misa’s blonde hair had lost its sleek shine long ago, and Light had barely moved from his spot in front of the bed. It was almost as though he was starting to lose his spirit. However, it was obvious that the chief’s condition was far worse in comparison. 

_ It looks like Light’s father hasn’t slept since he’s been locked up...in fact, he actually probably hasn’t. I can only imagine what he must be feeling like right now. I only recently had the chance to get to know and fall for Light Yagami. His father loved Light since the moment he was born, actually no, probably since the moment he first knew his wife was pregnant. This has to be extremely difficult for him.  _

“Yagami-san looks pretty bad...no he looks absolutely terrible. It’s clear that, out of the three of them, he’s taking it the worst,” L commented after a long while of staring at the dejected policeman. 

Keiko tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. She had been thinking the same thing, and she didn’t doubt that the Task Force had been thinking it as well. However, L had been the only one to voice it. Somehow that little fact didn’t surprise her, by now she was used to L’s bluntness. 

“Well of course...what did you expect, Ryuzaki-san?” Matsuda responded, “it’s been five days since Light Yagami, his only son, was imprisoned and since then not a single criminal has been killed. In these sorts of situations, I think the parents must suffer a lot more than the one accused.”

“No kidding,” Aizawa added, “especially now that we are seeing proof firsthand that Light is Kira.”

There was a chill that ran down Keiko’s spine, and she fought the urge to shiver. Aizawa was right, the fact that no new criminals had been killed meant that things didn’t look too good for her ex-boyfriend. 

_ Of course, Kira’s taken short breaks in the past, but if he doesn’t kill soon...well...then my ex-boyfriend really is Kira. If Light Yagami is Kira then that means I was in love with a murderer...a mass murder...not only that, it would pretty move prove that Misa Amane was his Second Kira...meaning that I was the biggest fool of all.  _

Keiko could feel the tears threatening to form in the corner of her eyes, so she gave her arm a hard pinch. She then drew a deep breath in an attempt to further try and calm herself down. There was no way she could lose it in front of the other detectives. 

_ Relax, Keiko...it’s only been five days. Kira’s been inactive for seven days before, a whole week. Keep that in mind. There’s still a chance that Light isn’t actually Kira. It’s possible that the real Kira just had a horribly timed break from killing off criminals.  _

It took a few more seconds of self convincing, but soon Keiko was no longer in danger of crying. She definitely didn’t want to cry, not in front of L and the rest of the Task Force. That would only be embarrassing, and she felt that she wouldn’t be taken as seriously as a detective if she openly let her feelings get to her like that. 

Despite the fact that Keiko had been trying hard to hide her feelings, L’s sudden look in her direction told her that he knew exactly what she had been freaking out about. She shifted a little under his intense gaze.

_ I suppose I shouldn’t be that surprised that he knows...after all, nothing gets past him… _

Much to Keiko’s relief, the raven haired detective didn’t comment on her emotional state. Instead, he turned his attention back to Light’s father. 

Keiko watched as he hit the chief’s speakerphone, “Yagami-san…”

“What is it? Is it good news?!” Soichiro Yagami demanded. He gave a wild look into the surveillance camera, “or...perhaps, is it bad news?! You can tell me, I swear I can handle it!”

“Oh, chief…” Keiko heard Matsuda murmur quietly behind her. There was also a soft sigh from Aizawa.

It was quite clear to everyone at Task Force headquarters that he, in fact, couldn’t handle it. 

“There’s no news, Yagami-san. That’s not why I wanted to talk to you,” L replied. 

“T-then why?!” Mr. Yagami fiercely questioned. 

“I wanted to tell you not to worry so much,” L said simply, “it doesn’t matter how much time you devote to worrying about this; the outcome will still be the same. That being said, this could go on for quite some time...perhaps you should rest in a more comfortable place.”

“Impossible!” The chief almost shouted. He stood up so fast that his chair nearly tipped over behind him. He stared straight into the camera with a scarily determined look,  “what makes you think I care where I am?! It doesn’t matter to me because, like you said, it won’t change anything! Mark my words, no matter how much time it takes, no matter what the result is, when I leave here...it’s going to be with my son!”

L closed his eyes a moment and took a deep breath, “I understand, Yagami-san...however, if at any point you change your mind and want to be let out, Watari-san and I are more than willing to offer you a room here at Task Force headquarters. Of course, you would still be monitored and you wouldn’t be allowed to leave, but it would be more comfortable than your current space.”

Mr. Yagami’s face softened a little, “thank you, Ryuzaki-san...but given the state I’m in, and how much of a reaction I just had, I think it’s best that I remain here…”

“I understand,” L replied once more. He turned off the microphone and Keiko eyed him as he brought his thumb up to his mouth. 

_ Why did he offer Light’s father a more comfortable accommodation in the first place? Surely he knew that the chief would decline his offer. Did he just do it to ease his conscious? On second thought, does he even have a conscience? Sometimes I truly wonder what goes on in that mind of his... _

 

_ /timeskip/  _

 

L’s POV:

The time was nearing eleven o'clock, meaning that it had gotten rather late. Unfortunately, there were still no new leads in the investigation. Misa was still convinced that she had been kidnapped by a stalker and Light had barely moved a muscle. He was still sitting at the foot of his dingy bed, staring at the floor of his cell. 

L was rather bored because of all of the inactivity. His dark eyes drifted over towards where Keiko was standing in front of the coffee machine in the corner of the room. She was watching the coffee as it dripped down into the little pot below with a certain eagerness. 

The detective had sensed her weariness when she had been sitting next to him earlier, so it was no surprise that she needed the little boost. Keiko lifted up the coffee pot as soon as the dripping slowed to a halt, pouring it into one of the empty mugs sitting on the coffee table. Afterwards, as he predicted, she poured in an obscene amount of caramel creamer into the mug. She then stirred it to perfection.

L watched as she raised the mug up to her lips and took a rather large sip. The corners of his lips curved upwards.

_ Heh…how interesting.  _

By now it was no surprise to him what her preferences were when it came to the caffeinated drink. She didn’t like to add in pure sugar like he did, but adding in huge amounts of coffee creamer was apparently no issue.

_ However, it’s the same thing, just in a different form... _

He watched as Matsuda walked over to where Keiko was standing by the coffee machine. L could see the start of dark circles forming under his eyes. The young policeman looked just as tired as she was. 

“Would you mind pouring me some coffee as well, please?” Matsuda asked her, gesturing over towards the coffee machine beside her. 

_ Surely he can get his own coffee...why make Keiko do it? I know she’s standing closest to the machine, but she was just about to move anyway.  _

“Oh. Sure, Matsuda-san,” Keiko replied, setting down her coffee mug. She then grabbed an empty mug from the table. 

L watched as the young policeman gave Keiko a soft smile, “thank you, Keiko-chan.”

She filled the mug up to the top with the fresh coffee, “it’s really no problem. Do you want any milk or creamer?”

“Oh I can do that part myself,” Matsuda responded, taking the mug from Keiko’s hands and stirring in some milk. 

“A-alright,” Keiko grabbed her mug once more. She looked like she was about to walk away, so L assumed that Keiko’s little interaction with Matsuda was over. 

_ Finally.  _

The detective was about to turn back around to watch the surveillance cameras again when he heard Matsuda speak up once more. L paused, glancing back over in their direction. 

“Uh, K-Keiko-chan...wait a moment…” Matsuda murmured. His voice was quiet at first, uncertain. 

_ What could he possibly want from her now? Does he intend to try and cheer her up somehow? Knowing Matsuda, that’s probably it. He, too, doubts that Light is guilty after all...but is it truly necessary?  _

L watched as Keiko turned back around to direct her attention towards him again. He could see the question written in her eyes, “hmm? What is it, Matsuda-san?

“I was thinking…and…well…I just wanted to say...” he suddenly trailed off, glancing at the floor of the hotel room a moment. It was as though he was fishing for the right way to finish up his sentence. A few seconds later, he met Keiko’s gaze once more, “well...to be blunt, I’m glad L never found reason to suspect you of being Kira or the Second Kira.”

Keiko’s eyebrows shot up. It was clear that Matsuda’s sudden confession had thrown her off. L watched as she swallowed uncomfortably, “I, uh-”

Matsuda interrupted her before she could respond, his face was flushing, “oh...I hope you don’t take that in a bad way...I just mean, it’s, uh, unfortunate how Light’s under suspicion right now, and I’m glad that you don’t have to go through what he’s going through.”

“O-oh...uh, yeah. R-right…that’s, uh, that’s good,” Keiko stuttered out. L could tell that she honestly didn’t know how to properly respond to him. 

“Y-yeah...” Matsuda nodded running a hand through his messy, dark hair earnestly, “well, that’s all I wanted to say…”

_ Hmm…leave it to Matsuda to make things awkward. How he manages to be so irritating is beyond me. Of course he means well, but he has the oddest way of going about things, and his stating the obvious is a bit too much.  _

L was done listening in, he had heard enough mindless chatter. He swiveled his chair back around so that he was facing the surveillance feeds. It appeared that Keiko was done as well because, out of the corner of his eye, he saw her settling into her spot right next to him once more. 

He glanced over at her, keeping his face unreadable, despite the annoyance he was feeling at watching her little interaction with Matsuda moments ago. She set her mug of coffee down on a coaster. Keiko absentmindedly brushed a strand of hair away from her face and studied the surveillance feed. Her gaze lingered on her ex-boyfriend, and L had no doubt that she was feeling torn once again.

Even though he had stated the obvious, Matsuda had still been right earlier, there was no way that Keiko was Kira or the Second Kira. Her emotions were way too easy to read. If she were Kira or the Second Kira, she would have revealed herself long ago. Her face would have given it away if she were guilty, so L knew without a doubt that she was innocent. 

On the other hand, both Light Yagami and Misa Amane were far from innocent. L was determined to prove that fact. It helped that all of the evidence gathered so far pointed to both of them. There was also no way that their meeting that day on the street was just a mere coincidence. He was certain that Light and Misa had planned things out so that Keiko wouldn’t be suspicious. 

L also knew that Light had to have told Misa to befriend Keiko, despite the fact that the two of them had nothing in common. After all, Keiko and Misa were pretty much polar opposites; one was an outspoken, blonde haired bombshell and the other a soft-spoken, burnette honor student. He deduced that there was no other explanation for their sudden friendship, meaning that Light had told Misa to take advantage of Keiko’s kindness. 

Keiko’s kindness was her major downfall, it made her soft. Not only that, but her love for Light Yagami had made her blind. Her love had made her trust Light despite the detective’s warnings, despite the fact that all evidence pointed to him as being Kira. It had also made her trust Misa Amane, who was most likely the Second Kira. 

_ Intelligence almost means nothing if one only runs on emotions. Emotions only make people weak, and weak people only let others walk all over them...that being said, it’s such a waste that Keiko was so hung up on Light Yagami _ , L thought, taking a bite of his strawberry cake. He studied the girl, watching as she bit her lip, staring straight at her ex-boyfriend on the surveillance feed. 

_ No...actually, it’s a waste that, after all of this time, she’s still hung up over him. Keiko might not want to admit it, but the longer we go without news of a new heart attack victim, the worse she looks… _

L watched as Keiko slightly shifted in her seat and took a sip of her coffee. 

_ While it’s frustrating watching her like this, it’s also sort of funny in a way...she can accept that Light possibly cheated on her one day and break up with him, but she still can’t accept that all signs point to him as being Kira, even though we’ve had evidence of that for months. The bottom line is, it’s obviously hard for her to accept the fact that Light Yagami is Kira. However, if she wants to stay working on this investigation, she has to. After all, if things continue like this then it’s only a matter of time until we will be able to properly convict Light. I wonder if there’s any way she could get over him sooner?  _

 

**Day 7 of Surveillance**

Keiko’s POV:

Keiko could yet again feel L’s watchful gaze and she gave a feeble attempt at making her face unreadable. She noticed that he had been keeping a frequent eye on her the last few days. There was no doubt in her mind that the detective was trying to get inside her head, to see what exactly she was thinking and feeling about the Kira investigation. Or, more specifically, to see what she was thinking and  feeling about Light Yagami.

While it had made her uneasy, she had been able to somewhat brush it off before. However now, with it having been a full week without any new Kira victims, it was much harder for her to ignore his watchful eyes, especially because they were currently the only ones at Task Force headquarters. 

Keiko swallowed hard. She had been trying hard to stay silent, to disregard the young detective, but she was growing tired of him trying, and succeeding, at reading her. It was becoming too much for her to handle.

She finally gave into her urge and questioned the raven haired detective sitting beside her, “Ryuzaki-san, is it really necessary for you to constantly keep an eye on me? What, am I also now a suspect in this investigation? You of all people must know that I’m not capable of being a mass murderer.”

Keiko watched as L’s lips curved into a smirk, “I am well aware of your innocence. It’s just...well...as I said before, Kagami-san, you’re quite an interesting person. I daresay...it’s rather fun keeping an you.”

She fought an urge to roll her eyes, “why? You like watching me slowly realize that there’s a high probability that my ex-boyfriend is Kira?”

“Well, you said it, not me,” the great detective responded, “however, you’re right; I do. I told you from the very beginning that Light Yagami was suspected of being Kira, but it appears that once you fell for him, you forgot that fact. You were so blinded by love that you basically ignored all of my little warnings and reminders...sure, you were cautious for a little while afterwards, but then you’d start to slip right into Light’s hands once more. A lovestruck girl...it was almost too hard for me to watch.”

Keiko gave a soft sigh. While she disliked his harsh way of explaining things, she knew she couldn't argue with him. She knew that he was right, if Light Yagami was really Kira, then she had fallen right into his trap multiple times. The thought left her feeling severely unsettled on the inside. 

The evidence was just stacked way too high against Light Yagami. It didn’t help that it had now been a week since Kira’s last victim. Of course, Kira had taken short breaks between his killing sprees before, but if this was just a break, then it was at an exceedingly horrible time. However, she still held a small hope that Light was innocent, a hope that was constantly getting crushed every single day that Kira wasn’t killing new criminals. 

Seeing Keiko’s response, L continued on, “of course, I have to give you some credit...after all, you finally ended your relationship with him, a wise choice on your end. It’s unfortunate that you had to experience the heartbreak of watching Light and Misa kiss first though...and, as I recall, it’s not the first time you’ve had a boyfriend cheat on you…”

Keiko froze at the detective’s sudden mention of Daicho, it was like an arrow going straight through her heart. L knew just how to push her buttons, he knew just how to upset her. However, once again, he was right, she had been fooled not only once but twice. 

“They say that history repeats itself...” L looked her straight in the eyes, “and they’re right... you’re living proof of that. You’re rather smart, but...ass I said before, despite how cautious you might think you are, you’re naive. I always knew you were naive, that’s why I tried to warn you. But...you’re blind when you’re in love, you let your emotions cloud your judgement. That being said, you don’t see the facts...or, perhaps, you see the facts but choose to ignore them, because the truth hurts. Well, Keiko-chan, the truth may hurt but the truth always has a way of coming out in the end...and right now, the truth is Light cheated on you with Misa, and...that there’s now a 90% chance he’s Kira. There’s a quote, ‘the more trustworthy someone is, the more they have to lose’, well, Keiko-chan, it appears that you’ve lost.”

Keiko could feel the blood rushing to her face. She wasn’t quite sure how she was feeling, but she knew she didn’t like it very much. There were multiple knots in her stomach, and she could feel her heart pumping faster in her chest.

“I know that the truth is hard to handle, Kagami-san,” L replied, “but it’s better to face the truth sooner rather than later. That way, one can avoid getting hurt.”

Keiko couldn’t stop herself from snorting at L’s words.

_ Avoid getting hurt? No matter what, there was no way I could have avoided getting hurt in this situation. He’s just making fun of me now! Or at least that’s what it feels like...he’s always so blunt, sometimes it’s hard to tell... _

The sound of the detective speaking once more broke her away from her thoughts, “if you’re upset with me again, that’s fine. I can live with that. As a reminder, you’re free to come and go as you please. That means there’s nothing stopping you from leaving if this investigation’s getting too much for you to handle…”

Keiko narrowed her eyes at him. 

“Leave?” she bitterly spat, “you of all people should know that I have no intention of leaving, not until the investigation is over, once and for all…”

“Oh, Kagami-san,” the detective gave a soft chuckle. 

He then leaned in closer towards Keiko. She could feel the warmth emitting from his body as he spoke, “if you have no intention of leaving, then face the truth; Light Yagami is Kira, and he’s been stringing you along all this time.”

With that, L leaned back into his original position, leaving Keiko momentarily frozen. He had said that multiple times before, but this particular time, under these particular circumstances, it had the most effect on her. The first few times he had said it, it had been easy to wave away and deny, but now after days of surveillance with no new killings, it was hard to ignore the obvious. 

However, it was a hard truth for Keiko to swallow.

  
  
  



	30. Chapter Thirty: Frustration

 

**Day 8 of Surveillance**

Keiko’s POV:

Keiko gave an exasperated sigh as she recalled her little conversation the other night with the world’s greatest detective. She thought a more appropriate name for him would be the world’s most frustrating detective. After all, he always managed to somehow get under her skin. Even worse, his haunting words from the other night had yet to leave her mind. Actually, no matter what, she couldn’t get them out. It was as though his words were stuck on an almost endless loop inside her head. 

_ “If you have no intention of leaving, then face the truth; Light Yagami is Kira, and he’s been stringing you along all this time.” _

Was there really any truth to L’s words? Unfortunately, Keiko had to say yes. It appeared that she could no longer ignore the glaringly obvious fact that Light Yagami was probably, no...it appeared that that he was more than most likely Kira, the worst mass murderer that the world had ever seen. 

Keiko had been thinking about the detective’s words all night. Now that Light was so close to being convicted of Kira, it made her sick to her stomach thinking of how easily manipulated by him she had been. She had fallen right into his dangerous trap countless times. He had reeled her in, played her a fool. 

_ I am a fool...aren’t I? If my ex-boyfriend really is Kira, then I can’t deny that. I trusted him. I played right into his hands. He got me right where he wanted me…not only did he toy with my emotions, he controlled them.  _

Keiko shivered, despite the fact that she was wearing a rather warm wool sweater. 

_ No...I let him control me.  _

Look back at her history with him, Keiko deduced that things with Light Yagami officially started after she had ran into him at the convenience store on that fateful night. That was the start of their friendship, the start of their soon to be romantic relationship. Before then, they had only been rank one and rank two in school, classmates that weren’t particularly close but were still civil to one another. 

The fact that the man on the motorcycle, who had been leering and chasing a woman only moments before, had died was now way too suspicious for her to overlook. It was especially suspicious when considering right after that night heart attack victims became more and more common. Keiko hadn’t really thought much about the night at the convenience store, mostly because she just wanted to block it out. It wasn’t like she wanted to remember watching a man die, at least with the bus jacking incident she had looked away when it happened. Keiko shifted slightly on the bed she was sitting on, crossing her arms in front of her chest defensively as she thought back on the night she had run into him.

_ And, to think, Light had the audacity to walk me home that night!  _

Looking back also made her realize that she had once used Light Yagami as well. Keiko shuddered. She was thinking that,because she had kissed him that day to get simple revenge on her ex-boyfriend, she had also invited him to use her in return. 

_ If I had never kissed Light Yagami that day, I probably wouldn’t even be in this mess right now...although, now that I think about it, out of all the girls in our class, I was probably the one closest to his type. After all, he and I were the top two students in the grade...meaning that he probably would have asked me out anyway, so perhaps there really was no way to avoid this fate. Well, even if I could have avoided it…it’s useless now. What’s done is done, unfortunately…  _

Light Yagami had shamelessly used her, not once, not twice, but multiple times. He had used her for months. There was no going back now. 

Keiko thought about her first attempt at a date with Light Yagami, and the bus jacking that had gone along with it. 

_ The bus jacking was no mere accident...he had used that bus jacking in order to retrieve that innocent FBI agent’s name. He had then tortured him to somehow get everyone else’s name and face, only to dispose of them all in the end…twelve innocent lives were lost thanks to him. Twelve, and there could have been more that I don’t even know about. After all, L didn’t recruit me for the investigation right away. He waited a while first.  _

Keiko let out a soft sigh, her mind was now running through all of the other times she had been with Light Yagami. There had been quite a few study dates to make up for their lack of an official first date. Those study dates had easily turned into kissing sessions that had left her slowly wanting even more of him. However, thinking back on that now only made Keiko feel dirty, both physically and emotionally. 

After all, those study sessions had paved the way for Light to ask her to officially be his girlfriend. Or, rather, to officially be his puppet, and his asking her out had subsequently led Keiko to fall for him. 

_ And I can’t believe that he used me as a cover up that whole time...how cruel. Once I fell for him, there was no going back. I was lost, no matter how many times L tried to warn me. I didn’t listen....what a fool. Had any of it been real? Did Light really feel anything for me? I suppose it’s possible, but if he’s Kira, then I highly doubt it. As L said, he had to have been just stringing me along. There’s no way that his love for me was real. In fact, now that I think about it, the two of us never said those three little words, ‘I love you’ to one another... _

Her stomach, which already had been in knots for a while, gave a sudden lurch. She was seriously worried for a moment that she would actually vomit. Keiko covered her mouth, drawing in a deep and slow breath to help her recover.

It was then that another thought struck her. A thought that she had tucked away in the depths of her brain for a while. At the time, she had deemed it unimportant. In fact, it probably was unimportant, but still, she had to be certain. Keiko didn’t want to be fooled any longer, and she wanted to investigate everything having to do with Light Yagami.

She reached into the pockets of her sweatpants, digging around for her cell phone. Aside from his dad, no one from the Yagami family knew that Keiko and Light had broken up. Light’s father had told Keiko it was because Light didn’t want to raise any more questions, because to him, being interrogated by L and the rest of the Task Force was enough. 

Keiko figured that, since his family thought that the two of them were still together, it wouldn’t be weird for her to text his little sister. However, she knew she had to be crafty in order to get the details she wanted out of Sayu Yagami. Luckily it didn’t take Keiko long to think of a plan. 

 

To: Sayu-chan:3

From: Keiko Kagami

_ Hi, Sayu-chan! It’s Keiko. I was wondering...do you remember the name of the girl that Light-kun was tutoring a while ago? He and I need to fill out applications in order to take a certain class in our study abroad program, and on the application we have to include the names of all people we tutored. But…Light doesn’t remember her name and his phone is dead, so he can’t text you himself.  _

 

Okay, Keiko had to admit that her plan perhaps wasn’t the greatest, but it was the best that she could come up with on such short notice. The fact that Light Yagami had a girl come over so soon after the two had met Misa Amane was now suspicious to Keiko. At the time, she hadn’t thought much of it, but looking back, Keiko had a strong suspicion that the girl had been Misa. If Light was Kira, then that would for sure meant that Misa Amane was the Second Kira, and Light hadn’t been tutoring her, but been conspiring with her in secret. 

Keiko’s leg bounced in anticipation. Considering the fact that Sayu Yagami was glued to her phone, she figured it wouldn’t take long for her to respond, but at the moment, every moment felt like hours. 

Finally, after a long two minutes passed, Keiko received her response. A response that made her heart skip a beat and her blood run cold. 

 

To: Keiko Kagami

From: Sayu-chan:3

_ Oh, hi, Keiko-chan! It’s been boring here without you and Light around! I can’t believe I’m saying this but I miss you both! (don’t tell my brother I said that though, I’d never live that down!) Anyway, that girl looked like she stepped out of an old horror movie, so of course I remember her name! Her name was Misa Amane. Is there anything else you have to ask me for Light’s application? I hope he gets into that class, he deserves it! _

 

The phone trembled in Keiko’s hands, and she fought hard to catch her breath. She felt like the wind had just been knocked out of her. Her fingers struggled to type up a proper response to Sayu’s question.

 

To: Sayu-chan:3

From: Keiko Kagami

_ No, Sayu-chan, all Light needed to know for the application was her name, so there are no further questions…thank you, you were a big help.  _

 

Keiko’s phone beeped yet again a moment later, signaling that Sayu had responded, but she didn’t bother to open it up. She didn’t even think she had the strength to open up the text message. In fact, what little strength she had left had dwindled away as soon as she read Sayu’s text message. The name Sayu had given her, Misa Amane, had more than confirmed her suspicions. She set her cell phone back into her pocket. 

_ This could seriously mean that Light Yagami is Kira...and that Misa Amane is his Second Kira....if that’s true, then the two of them are the worst mass murderers that the world’s ever seen…and I was blind to that fact the whole entire time… _

Unfortunately, her little discovery had caused her to lose her composure for good. Keiko was soon unable to stop the sobs from wracking her body.

_ If it’s true then I can’t believe I fell for it...L was right, I really am naive. _

She was glad that she was hiding out in the spare bedroom of L’s hotel suite, as she was sure that she looked like an absolute wreck. There were tears streaming down her face and circles starting to develop under her eyes due to increased lack of sleep. 

Not only that, but she had also started to pay less attention to her clothing choices since moving into the hotel, opting for comfort rather than fashion. She figured her current clothing choice, an oversized wool sweater paired with sweatpants, probably only made her look like worse.

“Keiko-chan!” 

The sound of Matsuda’s voice made Keiko freeze. There was no way she wanted him to see her like this. Hell, she didn’t want anyone to see her like this. She hated people seeing her cry. The fact that Matsuda had seen her cry when she was at her father’s grave unnerved her...and here he was about to witness her crying yet again! 

Keiko sighed, quickly attempting to pat her wet face dry. She knew it was in vain, because one look at her puffy eyes would lead Matsuda to conclude that she had been crying, but she had to do something in order to try and regain her dignity. 

She could hear Matsuda’s footsteps getting louder and louder, and soon, she knew that he had entered the spare room. 

“K-Keiko-chan,” she heard Matsuda quietly whisper. “You’re thinking about Light-kun, aren’t you?” 

Keiko meekly lifted her head up to face the young dark haired policeman at the mention of Light’s name. She could see the worry written in his eyes as he stepped forward and slowly sat down on the bed next to her. His concerned gaze made her feel even more vulnerable.

She didn’t have the strength to speak, so she just nodded her head, and attempted to keep up her cool composure. 

It didn’t last very long. Matsuda mentioning Light’s name out loud had only made her feel even more upset, and she was unable to stop a lone tear from escaping her eye. Unfortunately for her, that tear had caused the formation of even more tears, and soon, she was full on crying once again. 

Keiko closed her eyes, thinking that it would somehow stop the tears from flowing down her face. Her heart was hammering away in her chest. 

_ Damn it! I keep letting myself get so emotional. _

Her eyes snapped open as soon as she felt Matsuda wrap his arms around her back, bringing her up to his chest so that he could envelop her in an awkward hug.

_ What the…? Oh...he’s probably trying to comfort me... _

Normally, she would have brushed her tears back, she would have gently pushed away from his touch. However, this time Keiko didn’t have the will to somehow force a smile onto her face. She didn’t even have the strength to move or be prideful and attempt to save face. It was far too late for any of that. 

Seeing no reason to fight her emotions, she let herself relax in Matsuda’s arms, softly continuing to cry as he awkwardly patted her back in an effort to calm her down. She knew that Matsuda wasn’t a threat to her, the young policeman had quickly become a friendly face on the task force. While he sometimes wasn’t the brightest, he was dependable. He was a friend that she knew she could trust.

Keiko wasn’t sure how much time had passed. After all, she felt like once her tears started, they would never stop flowing. However, unbeknownst to them, their little show had an audience. 

 

L’s POV:

_ Hmm...what’s taking him so long? While he’s not the brightest, it’s not like Matsuda-san to dawdle on a task like this...whenever I ask him to do me a favor, he usually tries to impress me by getting it done rather quickly...it really shouldn’t be taking him this long to go and wake up Keiko though.  _

L let out a deep sigh, deciding that he had, once again, had enough of waiting for Matsuda to do his job. He stood up from his chair, walking through the living room towards the spare bedroom, which was where Keiko had ventured off to a couple hours ago to go take a ‘quick’ nap. 

_ If Matsuda’s going to just take his sweet time, I might as well go and get Keiko myself. After all, Light’s been in confinement for over a week now...and I’d really like to know what she’s thinking now about the situation. She spent all of this time thinking that her boyfriend couldn’t be Kira, no, even after they broke up, she still refused to believe it. But now, I’m getting all the proof I need to convict him.  _

The detective stopped dead in his tracks as soon as he heard light sobs emitting from the direction of the spare bedroom. 

_ Well, I suppose I now have my answer...I have to admit, I’m not that surprised. It was only a matter of time before her emotions got to her. _

The sobs, though slightly muffled, got a little louder as he took a couple steps forward. He peered into the room from the doorway. He saw Keiko sitting on the bed. She was huddled towards Matsuda, who was gently patting her back.

_ So that’s what he’s been up to. _

L had been feeling fine before, but all of the sudden, his heart gave a slight pang. If he hadn’t locked Light and Misa up eight days ago, he would have sworn that it was either Kira or the Second Kira finally attempting to kill him. 

_ If this isn’t a heart attack then what is this? _

The detective brought his thumb up to his mouth, staring at the two sitting on the bed. He knew there was another possible explanation for the way he was now feeling, but he refused to accept it. 

_ I don’t allow myself to feel such things, as they just get in the way...so it can’t be...there’s just no way…is there?   _

 

**Day 9 of Surveillance**

Light’s POV:

“I-I just can’t take it anymore!” Ryuk pitifully groaned, “I’m serious, you know! I’m really about to reach my limit over here! I swear...if...if I don’t get an apple soon...there’s no telling what’ll happen to me!”

Light couldn’t see him from where he was sitting on his bed, but he was sure that the shinigami was contorting his body into all sorts of weird shapes once again. 

He raised an eyebrow, a determined look on his face, and ignored the shinigami’s dramatic behavior. It had now been nine days since the start of his confinement. He was sure that L would attempt to interrogate him once more. After all, he was only giving him more proof of his guilt. 

_ Well, not for too much longer, L...soon you’ll see that I’m innocent. Once that happens, you’ll have no choice but to release me.  _

“Light-kun,” L’s voice came in over the loudspeaker in the corner, interrupting him from his thoughts, “you’ve only been in there for a little over a week, but I’m sure it can’t be easy for you...are you feeling alright?”

The corner’s of Light’s mouth slightly curved upwards into a smirk. He was glad that L currently was unable to see his face because of the angle he was sitting at. 

_ I’m feeling great, L, heh… and hmm...now that I think about it, I’ve come pretty far...it’s probably about time to put part two of my plan into action!  _

“Yeah, I’m sure I probably don’t look so good...but it’s this useless pride of mine that’s keeping me in here…” Light started, finally looking up in the direction of the camera, “...I suppose I’ll have to just try to…get rid of it!”

“H-huh?” Ryuk questioned, taking a moment to fully process Light’s words. He peered over at the light brown haired human sitting on the bed, “o-oh, yeah. I gotcha, hyuk. Well, looks like I’ll be able to get some more apples soon. That being said, I’ll see you for now, Light Yagami. It’s been fun…”

With that, Ryuk waved his hand in the air over Light’s head, watching as Light closed his eyes, probably waiting for the memories of the death note to fade. Once the shinigami was finished, he flapped his wings, and disappeared from the cell.

Light opened his eyes once more, looking around his cell and blinking slowly. For some reason, he felt a little disoriented. He gave a little sigh of frustration, figuring that it was probably because he was starting to feel the effects of being locked up for so long. 

_ Dammit, why am I even doing this?! It’s pointless, I don’t belong in here; I’m not Kira, I know that! We’re only wasting precious investigation time!  _

“Ryuzaki-san,” Light started, staring up at the camera once more. His voice was pleading, “I realize that I was the one pushing for confinement in the first place, and I even asked you to put me in here...but I just realized something important! This whole thing is completely pointless because I’m not Kira! You have to get me out of here!”

 

L’s POV:

L could hear the gasps from the members of the task force behind him, notably Mogi and Matsuda. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Keiko shifting slightly in her chair, she clearly was looking rather uncomfortable with the current situation. He figured she was probably trying to get a grip on her emotions. 

The detective, however, didn’t let their reactions distract him. Instead, he narrowed his eyes at the suspect sitting in the cell on the monitor in front of him. 

“I’m afraid I can’t do that, Light-kun,” L responded, “if you recall, I promised you that, no matter what you did or said, I wouldn’t let you out until I was personally convinced that you are not Kira.” 

“Please, Ryuzaki-san!” Light responded, desperation in his voice, “I wasn’t thinking clearly! Besides, do you honestly think that a serial killer like Kira could commit those crimes without being aware of them?! If I have no memory of killing anyone then it should be pretty clear that I’m not him!”

L let out a soft sigh, “while I’ve never been able to accept this idea that Kira has been killing without self awareness all this time, that doesn’t change the fact that all of the evidence points to you as being Kira...and, since we imprisoned you, Kira hasn’t committed a single murder.”

“Listen, just hear me out...I swear to you that I’m not lying!” Light’s eyes got huge as he looked into the camera, “do these eyes look guilty to you?! You have to believe me; I’m not Kira! I...I must have been framed...that’s the only explanation for this!”

L carefully studied Light’s brown eyes, looking for anything suspicious. 

_ What’s wrong with you, Light Yagami? What you’re saying is completely absurd...but, for some reason, it feels real to me...it feels genuine.  _

“Hurry up, Ryuzaki-san!” Light continued on, “you have to let me out of here! We’re wasting precious time!”

“What the…” the detective heard Keiko mutter beside him. He glanced at her, watching as her face scrunched up a little, “oh Light-kun…”

“This isn’t like Light at all!” Aizawa grumbled, “this doesn’t make any sense to me, he’s contradicting himself...not only that, he’s getting emotional.”

“I’m sure anyone would be emotional in that condition,” Matsuda responded, “but we can’t release him now, not with the murders suddenly stopping...at this point, it doesn’t matter what he says, even I understand that much.”

Aizawa chuckled darkly, “yeah...I don’t care what anyone else says, as far as I’m concerned, we have all the proof we need to convict him...Light Yagami is Kira, that’s the end of it.”

“Hmm,” L rested his thumb by his mouth, “at this rate, Aizawa-san is right...if things continue on like this, that’s the only conclusion that we can come to...but I suppose that it’s still a little too early to tell for sure...we’ll have to just continue watching him for the time being.”

 

_ /timeskip/ _

 

Keiko’s POV:

Keiko ran her fingers through her hair and let out a soft sigh, staring at the monitors in front of her. All the other members of the task force had called it a night and left, leaving Keiko and L alone in the hotel room. 

It appeared that Light had calmed down from his outburst earlier, as he had actually fallen asleep on the bed. She watched the rise and fall of his chest, thinking over his sudden pleading from earlier on that day. 

_ “Listen, just hear me out...I swear to you that I’m not lying! Do these eyes look guilty to you?! You have to believe me; I’m not Kira! I...I must have been framed...that’s the only explanation for this!” _

_ Given the evidence against him, Light’s words make no sense...however, he seemed genuine...and for a moment, it was like I had a glimpse of my ex-boyfriend. Of course, I obviously don’t want to believe that he was only fooling me again, but…something about it seemed…so real.  _

Keiko’s heart gave a lurch in her chest. 

_ He really did look innocent...did I make a mistake in choosing to no longer trust him? Perhaps I gave up my faith in him too quickly... _

“Keiko-chan.”

She looked up, watching as the detective scooted his chair closer to hers, closing the gap between the two of them. 

“Y-yes?” Keiko responded, tucking a strand of hair behind her ears. She had been hoping that L would leave her alone for the night, but after seeing him stare her down, she figured that wouldn’t be the case. 

_ He’s going to rile me up again somehow, isn’t he…? _

Her suspicions were confirmed as soon as L opened his mouth to speak once more. His dark eyes were piercing hers, “I know what you’re thinking...but you shouldn’t let his little act fool you…”

“Can you really be sure that’s it’s just an act?” Keiko retorted, crossing her arms at him. She honestly wasn’t sure herself but she didn’t like the way L was making her feel. He had a way of exposing her true emotions, of making her feel vulnerable, “I mean, you saw the look in his eyes…do you really know for sure he’s guilty? It could be as he says.” 

The corners of the detective’s mouth lifted slightly, and she felt as though he were taunting her somehow. She supposed he was, it was what he seemed to do best. 

“Hmm. Right now, I can’t be too sure but the evidence against him is rather compelling...however…that's not my point, I’m more concerned about you at the moment,” L leaned forward in his chair so that he was face to face with her. He was close, so close that Keiko could feel his warm break on her cheek as he spoke, “are you really sure that you want to trust Light Yagami again? After all, whether he meant to or not, he already broke your heart once before…do you really want to make that twice?”

“R-Ryuzaki-san,” Keiko stuttered out, unable to properly speak. All she could focus on was L’s close proximity to her. His face was getting ever so close to her own, and they were now only mere inches apart from one another. Keiko could feel her heart pounding like crazy in her chest, she felt like she was about to lose control, and she knew she had to get away from him. And quickly, otherwise there was no telling what she’d do. There was no way that Keiko could allow herself to get lost in the detective’s eyes. 

She attempted to turn her head to look away from him, but he gently placed his hand on her chin to stop her. 

“I guess what I’m getting at, Keiko-chan, is...will you let your feelings for Light-kun get in the way of things again? Or will you finally be strong enough to get over him?”

Before Keiko could reply, or even register what was going on, she felt L’s lips brush over her cheek, teasing her skin ever so slightly. He was gentle, maybe even a little hesitant. Meanwhile, Keiko’s heart now felt like it was about to leap out her chest at his touch, and her brain was going haywire. 

The detective’s lips went even lower, tickling her skin as they slowly neared her own lips. The closer he got, the more her body trembled, causing all thoughts of her ex-boyfriend to leave her mind. All she could think about was the fact that L’s lips were dangerously close to meeting her own, but somehow the prospect of a kiss didn’t quite alarm her. 

In fact, she had to admit, in that moment, a part of her was almost curious as to how it would feel to kiss the world’s greatest detective. It would have been a nice distraction from reality, and she would be lying to herself if she said that L wasn’t in any way attractive. He was vastly different from Light, yes. L was odd, blunt to a fault, and had a thing for sweets. 

However, there was just something about him that drew her in. A part of her wanted a taste, just to see what it would be like. Besides, it wasn't like a kiss would hurt her. She was already heartbroken from Light.

Keiko finally gave in, letting him take control. Her eyes fluttered closed, waiting in anticipation.

“H-hello?” the sudden voice from the doorway of the hotel room caused Keiko’s eyes to snap open. She pushed the detective away from her, and she could feel her face flaming as Matsuda stepped into the hotel room.

“I forgot my…” the words died on the young police man’s lips. Keiko could only imagine how she and L looked to him. Her face was a deep shade of crimson and, because of the sudden intrusion, the detective’s eyes went wide. Although Matsuda had no way of knowing what had been going on, she was still sure that he was sure that he could feel the tension hidden between the two of them.

“I-I forgot my w-watch,” Matsuda finally stammered out after a long moment, reaching out to grab the item from the coffee table. He watched, probably uncomfortable, as both L and Keiko stared at him, “b-but Ryuzaki-san, Kagami-san, what’s going on, did something big happen? Perhaps...did Kira kill again?!”

Keiko awkwardly shook her head as L spoke up beside her, “no. No new criminals have been killed yet...and if you’re sure you have everything, you’re free to go…”

“Oh, alright then,” Matsuda replied, looking as confused as ever. He stood there a moment, glancing between the two of them. It was clear that he was trying to figure out what else, if anything, he could have missed. 

“I-I’m, uh, going to go to bed,” Keiko stuttered out. She normally would have stayed with L deep into the night to investigate, but at the moment she was too embarrassed to stay at task force headquarters. The only thing she could focus on was the fact that the great detective had almost kissed her, and she would have let him.

_ W-what’s wrong with me? There's no way I could like him, after all, I barely know anything about him! So why did I let him get so close to me then? It was almost like I was in a trance. It was almost like...I wanted it to happen... _

“Sleeping so soon? What a pity,” L responded. 

Keiko didn’t miss the hint of amusement in his voice. She could feel her face flaming again as she  stood up from her chair, heading towards the door that led to her hotel room suite. As she walked, she couldn’t be bothered to force herself to look at either of the guys in the room. Keiko needed to get to her room, and quickly. Not only that, she needed to try and figure out what exactly had just happened between the two of them. 

_ Wait a moment...even if Matsuda hadn’t walked in, would he have really kissed me? Or was that all just an act? With him, there’s no way of knowing for sure...perhaps he just wanted to see how I’d react? ...but it’s not like him to get that close to me, not that close at least! This is all too confusing! _

“Have a good night, Keiko-chan!” Matsuda cheerfully called out as she opened the door.

All she could muster back was a short wave in his direction before she closed the door behind her.

  
  
  
  
  



	31. Chapter Thirty-one: Aftermath

 

 

**Day 10 of Surveillance**

Keiko’s POV:

_ Keiko’s hand hovered over the door handle that led to the current task force headquarters. She definitely didn’t want to face the great detective, especially not after what nearly happened last time. Her face flamed whenever she thought about their almost kiss. It would be totally embarrassing if she let L see the effect he had on her.  _

_ The logical side of her knew that, if she wanted to continue working on the investigation, she had no choice; she would have to face him. She would just have to try and get over her nerves and act like nothing was bothering her. However, her emotional side was screaming at her to run back to her hotel room and dive back into the comforts of her bed.  _

_ Keiko had to admit, it was a rather tempting thought, pulling the covers over her head and ignoring all of her current problems. She also knew that, if she did, it would only be a matter of time until someone from the task force went looking for her, meaning that she would have to L sooner or later.  _

_ Keiko sighed, letting a little curse escape her mouth. Normally she would never be caught dead swearing but, given her situation, she figured it was okay. This was because it appeared that, no matter what, she just couldn’t win. No matter what path she chose, she would end up having to face L at some point.  _

_ However, given the choice, she decided would rather face the detective sooner rather than later. After all, it was always easier to peel off a band aid quickly, because there was no point in delaying the inevitable.  _

_ With that thought in mind, Keiko let the logical side of her brain win. She reached a hand out, reluctantly opening the door in front of her and stepping into the hotel room. Upon seeing L, Keiko could feel her heartbeat quickening in her chest. As usual he was sitting in front of the surveillance monitor, wearing his signature white t-shirt and worn-looking blue jeans. This caused her heart, which was already beating fast, to beat even faster.  _

_ Keiko attempted to assure herself that everything was going to be okay. She scurried past the detective’s chair with the intention of sitting down. However, L must have sensed her presence because he swiveled his own chair around to face her. His dark eyes and slightly tousled raven hair made her freeze up and she was unable to properly think.  _

_ “Ah, Kagami-san, it’s good that you’re here,” the detective announced, an amused look on his face. He stood up and walked forward until the two of them were face to face, “after all, I was waiting for you to arrive…” _

_ Keiko’s eyes widened and she took a step back, feeling uncomfortable with how close L was to her. She could feel the butterflies slowly starting to attack her stomach. The little confidence she had garnered was slipping away and all she wanted to do was run back to her hotel room. _

_ Unfortunately for her, L stepped forward and closed the gap between them once again. This caused Keiko to take another step backwards. However, for every step backwards that she took, L took another step forwards, his gaze never leaving hers. _

_ “W-what’s g-going on-ouch!” Keiko flinched as she felt the impact of her head hitting something solid behind her. It took her a moment to realize that it was the wall of the hotel room, meaning that the detective had literally backed her up against the wall. _

_ Keiko let out an angry growl as she rubbed the back of her head. Keiko’s eyes narrowed as she realized L must have planned this. He had to have been teasing her on purpose in order to spark a reaction from her.  _

_ The corner’s of L’s mouth turned upwards and his dark eyes stared intently at her own. The little smirk on his face let Keiko knew that she had been right in her assumption.  _

_ “W-what are you-” _

_ Keiko was cut off by the detective leaning forward. He was close, so close Keiko could feel his face tickling hers. Her heart, which had been racing before, went into complete overdrive. There was no stopping the blush that slowly crept over her face as she realized that, the last time she and L had been this close, the two had almost kissed. As her face turned red, she realized that she had probably given L the reaction he had wanted, causing her to mentally curse herself for being so stupid. _

_ The sound of L’s voice snapped her out of her reverie, it was time to face reality. There was definitely no hiding now. _

_ “Keiko-chan, by chance...did you think about what I said last time?” _

_ Keiko paused a moment to recall the detective’s words from the other night, ‘I guess what I’m getting at, Keiko-chan, is...will you let your feelings for Light-kun get in the way of things again? Or will you finally be strong enough to get over him?’ _

_ Of course she had been thinking about it. In fact, she had been more than thinking about it, as the thought refused to leave her mind. It was rather frustrating.  _

_ Although she didn’t speak, she figured that the detective knew what she was thinking, because as much as she hated to admit it, he was far too good at reading her. He had gotten under her skin once again.  _

_ “Good,” she heard L whisper quietly after a moment of silence had passed. “I figured that you would...after all, there was a 99.9% chance that you would, meaning that it was pretty much guaranteed…” _

_ Keiko stayed silent. She was almost certain that, even if she attempted to make a comeback, no words would be able to come out. _

_ The detective must have not minded the silence, because he continued on, “now, I know that you’ve been struggling to get over Light-kun, so I thought that perhaps I could be of some assistance to you...after all, I’m confident that my method of helping you would be 100% effective…” _

_ Before Keiko could even register what was going on, L’s lips lightly brushed over her cheek, causing her to freeze.  _

_ “Shall I do a test run, just to make sure, Keiko-chan?” the detective asked as his lips went slowly went lower. Just like the other day, his lips were now dangerously close to her own.  _

_ Keiko gulped, closing her eyes to avoid his gaze, as his eyes still hadn’t left hers. Her hands were balled up into fists beside her. She wished that he would just stop with his teasing, it was almost becoming too much for her to bear.  _

_ His lips lightly brushed over her own and Keiko felt her heart skip a beat. She could feel the butterflies in her stomach threatening to escape. However, she had little time to recover, because a moment later, she felt the pressure from him firmly planting his lips on her own.  _

_ As if on cue, there was a loud siren sound that suddenly burst through her ears, interrupting her kiss with the world’s greatest detective. _

This caused Keiko’s eyes to quickly snap open. She glanced around the hotel room, looking around for any sign of L.

_ W-what the-?! _

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion when, instead of seeing the detective’s smug face in front of her, she was greeted with the hotel room’s tacky flower wallpaper. Then there was also the annoying sound that was still blaring, which Keiko realized wasn’t a siren, but was the sound of her alarm clock. 

Still slightly in a daze, Keiko slowly lifted her head off the pillow, letting her hand instinctively reach towards her alarm clock in an attempt to turn it off. She then drew in a shaky breath, lightly touching her lips with her other hand.

Her mind was still reeling as she recalled the contents of dream. The way that L had looked at her, the way that L had touched her face, the way that he had softly kissed her lips...Keiko could feel her face flushing; it was all just too much for her to handle. 

_ Breathe, Keiko… and try to relax, it was just a dream...but it felt so real...too real for my taste, though perhaps when I think about it, there’s no way L would really act like that...there’s no way he would really...kiss me...would he? _

It appeared that her subconsciousness was still freaking out about what had happened the night before. Keiko had to admit, her conscious was also still freaking out about it. After all, what had happened, or rather, what had  _ nearly _ happened, had been quite intense. Not only that, it had struck a chord deep within her, and just like in her dream, the thought of having to face L after their near kiss was terrifying.

Unfortunately, just like in her dream again, she knew she would have to face him if she wanted to continue working on the investigation. Keiko sighed, running a hand through her tangled bed head. It appeared that her dream had done the number on her hair. 

She let out a soft whine,  _ why can’t I just stay here in my warm and comfortable bed until the end of time? _

There was only one thing that gave her slight comfort. It was the fact that, unlike in her dream, there would be others at the task force headquarters. That meant she wouldn't have to face the detective alone, the other members of the investigation would be right there with her, at least during the day.

_ However,  _ Keiko bit her lip in thought,  _ I hope that Matsuda doesn’t ask anymore questions about what was going on last night...it was awkward enough when he interrupted us...but, even if he hadn’t barged through the door, was L seriously about to kiss me? Or was he just messing with me again?  _

Keiko honestly wasn’t sure how she would have reacted if the detective, had Matsuda not interrupted them, would have actually kissed her for real. In the heat of the moment she had been rather curious as to how L’s lips would have felt against her own, but would she have really kissed him back? 

After all, she had just recently suffered so much heartbreak with Light. When she considered that then kissing the detective somehow didn’t seem like the best idea. It would only lead to even more trouble. It was just crazy, and aside from the fact that he was the world’s greatest detective and had an impressive had a sweet tooth, she knew next to nothing about him. 

Besides, what if the detective had only been leading her on?

_ I have to admit, even if he had only been leading me on, he still looked rather kissable....ugh, wait, what am I even saying?! _

Keiko sighed and picked up her hairbrush at the side of her bed. For some reason her bed head was even worse than usual this morning. She blamed that on her dream featuring the world’s greatest detective.

_ Keiko Kagami, you’re so hopeless.  _

Once Keiko had finished attempting to comb through the mess that was her hair, she somehow found the strength to get out of bed and change into her pajamas. She was lost in thought the whole time, attempting to analyze the great detective and his motives. Attempting to get inside the mind of the world’s greatest detective.

_ But, when I think about it properly, I seriously wouldn’t put it past L to do that on purpose just to rile me up; it appears that’s one of his favorite pastimes...but, if that’s the case, then he must have been doing it to see how I would react to someone other than Light kissing me...if that’s true, then it might have been an attempt to gauge if I had any...lingering feelings...for him. I must admit, I still foolishly hold a soft spot for him, but I’m doing my best to combat that. After all, not only did he cheat on me with Misa, but there’s now also significant evidence that points to him being Kira...and if he truly is Kira, whether he was conscious of it or not, then I was in love with a monster… _

Keiko let out an involuntary shudder as she thought about the fact that, since Light had been contained, no new criminals had been killed. That still unnerved her. After a moment, she refocused her attention back on the mysterious detective; she didn’t want to waste any more thoughts on her ex-boyfriend. 

She was trying to think of him as a suspect and only as a suspect, as it would do her no good to torture herself thinking about her past memories with him. That would only weaken her, and she was tired of being weak. Being weak had cost her a lot; it had cost her her trust, her heart, her normal life. 

_ On the off chance that it hadn’t just been an act, does this mean that L might possibly...have feelings...for me?  _

After a moment she shook her head, waving that thought away,  _ no...there’s no way...after all, being the world’s greatest detective, I’m sure that someone would have to be quite extraordinary in order to catch his attention...and I’m just plain old Keiko Kagami. Aside from the fact that I was once at the top of my class and got a perfect score on To-Oh’s entrance exam, there’s really nothing special about me...and on second thought, I don’t even know if I can count my perfect score as being an accomplishment, because Light was probably the sole reason why I got a hundred percent that day... _

Keiko then looked in the full length mirror provided in the bathroom of her hotel suite, studying her body carefully. She took a strand of her chestnut colored hair and rubbed it between her fingers as she thought. 

She made a sour face as she continued to look at herself in the mirror,  _ there’s not even anything special about my appearance. Long light brown hair paired up with matching light brown eyes isn’t exactly unique...in fact, by Japanese standards, I’m pretty average… _

Deciding that she had had enough with depressing self torture, Keiko exited the bathroom. She headed towards the door that led out of her rooms. There was a little hallway outside of the door that connected her suite with L’s. 

Keiko walked through the hallway, nearing the door that led into the task force headquarters. She was only seconds away from being face to face with the frustrating detective. 

While she was physically dressed and ready to investigate, emotionally she was nowhere near as prepared. However, she knew that the longer she hid out in her hotel room, the more tempted she would be to never leave said room. 

_ I guess it’s show time… _ she thought, her hand lingering over the door handle,  _ well...here goes nothing.  _

Keiko slowly turned the doorknob, attempting to put on a normal face before finally stepping off into the dark and foreboding unknown. 

 

L’s POV:

The detective let out a soft sigh, narrowing his eyes slightly at the monitors. Despite the fact that he had been staring at the surveillance camera footage for hours, not much work had been done. It was a first for him, but L found that his mind was elsewhere for once. He had been focusing all of his attention on something else.

Or rather  _ someone  _ else.

In particular, Light Yagami’s ex-girlfriend, Keiko Kagami. 

L let his gaze wander over towards the door when she stepped into the hotel room. The faraway look in her eyes told him that her mind was elsewhere. He had no doubt that she had been obsessing over what happened between the two of them the other night. 

Or rather, what had  _ almost _ happened between them; a kiss.

Keiko’s face flushed when she realized he had been looking over at her, which confirmed to him that he had been right in his assumption. She then shyly ducked her head as she made her way over towards the chair sitting next to his. 

“Good morning, Keiko-chan!” the detective heard Matsuda cheerfully call out from his position on the couch. The young policeman gave a friendly wave in Keiko’s direction.

“G-good morning to you as well, Matsuda-san, you too, Aizawa-san, and…” Keiko trailed off, giving an uncertain look in his direction, “y-you...R-Ryuzaki-san.”

After stuttering out his current alias, Keiko’s face started turning bright red once again. It it were any normal day, L would have been rather amused at getting such a strong reaction out of her, but today was different. 

L had only meant to rile up Keiko enough to get her to forget about her feelings for Light Yagami. After all, if Light really was Kira, it would be far better if Keiko no longer had any feelings for him. He wanted to gauge her reaction, to see if it was working, but he had gotten far too lost in the moment. He had gotten far too careless. In fact, he had been almost glad for Matsuda’s intrusion. 

Almost.

If Matsuda hadn’t suddenly appeared, well, L wasn’t really sure for sure what would have happened. It wasn’t like he had planned on kissing her, but at the time, he concluded that it was over 50% possible that he would’ve.

It was abundantly clear that she had stirred something deep within him.

He had started to feel the unwanted symptoms coming on once again as soon as Keiko stepped into the hotel room. The first thing he noticed that his heart rate had increased ever so slightly.  He also noticed he felt almost a little dizzy in a way, a little disoriented. L concluded that he didn’t like the way he was feeling; it made him feel weak, almost vulnerable even, which was something he absolutely refused to feel. 

After all, being a world renowned detective, he couldn’t afford to feel such an emotion. It would only hinder his detective work. And yet, here he was feeling exactly that sort of way because of Keiko Kagami. 

He had to admit it, for some reason, he was far too interested in her. It bothered him because he was unsure why she intrigued him so much, why she was able to make him feel this way. It was almost a little frustrating for him. 

The one case he couldn’t quite solve yet. 

L drew in a quiet but shaky breath, looking back towards the computer monitors. He watched as her ex-boyfriend lay on the dingy bed in his small cell,  _ there’s just something about her...but what? _

Was he interested in her because of who her father had been? He supposed that it was possible. After all, despite the fact that he had only been a local investigator, Hiro Kagami made quite a good name for himself when he was alive. Not only that, but L had been given an extra incentive to add her to the task force after realizing who her father had been. After learning a little bit about Keiko, he had counted on the fact that she wanted to follow in her father’s footsteps, and L hadn’t been disappointed. 

L watched as Light’s eyes fluttered closed on the monitor. It appeared that his number one suspect had grown tired of trying to convince him he was innocent for the time being and decided to take a mid morning nap.

_ Light Yagami… _

Perhaps, was it because of her close relationship with him? He supposed that was also a possibility. In fact, it was an even larger possibility. The sole reason he had noticed her in the first place was because of Light’s personal interest in her. 

L had no doubt that, despite who her father had been, or the fact that she wanted to become a detective herself, he wouldn’t have been nearly as interested in her if she and Light hadn’t been seriously involved with each other. 

In fact, even if Keiko had no desire to become a detective, he would have still recruited her to spy on her boyfriend after noticing how cozy the two of them had been during his surveillance of the Yagami household. 

_ I have to admit, that makes sense…a large part of why I became interested in Keiko in the first place was because of Light…but somehow, that doesn’t seem to be the truth now. It appears that I’m interested in her for different reasons...but why? _

He supposed that her personality was another important aspect to consider. After all, her personality had almost surprised him in a way. Despite the fact that she had been one of the smartest in her class, she let her emotions, rather than logic, control her actions. That made her weak, that made her naive. 

That made her easy for L to figure out. 

_ Heh...well, it’s pretty simple to guess what one’s thinking when they have their emotions written all over their face…however, I usually find such people to be quite tiresome... _

The detective lazily glanced over at Matsuda, who was in the middle of a quiet but heated discussion with Aizawa. He wasn’t quite sure what it was about, but he was certain that it was unimportant. 

_ Ah, yes, exhibit A...must he really go on and on about small things that don’t really matter?  _

He rolled his eyes a little, munching on the strawberry cake that Watari had given him for breakfast. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Keiko shift in her seat a little. It appeared that, with nothing to really do at the moment, she had decided to join Aizawa and Matsuda on the couch. 

L also supposed that she had moved because she felt uncomfortable sitting next to him, that would only make sense after the events of the other night. 

As if to support this conclusion, Keiko glanced behind her, looking in his direction. Upon seeing that he had been staring at her, she quickly turned her head away again. L didn’t miss the color that had faintly appeared on her cheeks.

He also didn’t miss the slight tug he felt in his chest.

_ Again, there’s no way that this could be a heart attack, that’s just not possible… so what is this? Why am so interested in her?  _

There was one other possible explanation for the way that he was feeling. The detective rested his thumb on his lip. 

_ Before the other night, I hadn’t ever seriously considered this to be possible, but...could I truly be...attracted to her?  _

In general, he had made it a rule to not get emotionally involved or attached to anyone, as that would only distract or hinder him from his work. Therefore he had never experienced such emotions before. He had never expected to experience anything like this before, either. It simply wasn’t an option for him. 

However, he knew that it was rather common for people to develop romantic feelings for people that they considered attractive or that they enjoyed having around. He also knew that those with crushes often felt physical symptoms similar to the ones he was currently feeling. Those symptoms were enough to drive anyone wild. But he wasn’t just anyone, he was the world renowned L. 

The detective watched as Keiko repositioned herself on the couch. As she did so, her leg slightly brushed up against Matsuda’s. He felt the panging in his chest once more at the contact between the two of them. 

Make that  _ very  _ similar symptoms he was suddenly having. L slightly shifted in his chair, not liking the direction this was going.

_ Given the current situation, it’s a very real possibility that I cannot rule out. However, if it does turn out to be true, I absolutely cannot allow myself to get distracted from my work…this case has to come first. I can’t let my emotions get to me, that’d be dangerous... _

  
  



	32. Chapter Thirty-two: Musings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be honest, I don’t know what my upload schedule will look like, and I’m sorry it took me so long to post this. I really, truly, honestly, am trying not to have such long wait times in between chapters. I’ve just been going through a lot lately; I moved out and into an apartment with some roommates and transferred to a four year university (which is much much different than a community college). So it’s been a lot of firsts for me lately. I’m now a full time university student (a college junior, with a major and a minor) trying to juggle everything and it’s hard lol. It’s been hard adjusting. However, it is still my goal to finish this fanfiction, no matter what. No matter how long it takes. This fanfiction is my baby (cliched, I know, sue me) and I don’t plan on abandoning it. Anyway, rant over, I hope you enjoy! As always, comments are appreciated.

  
  


**Day Thirteen of Surveillance**

Keiko’s POV:

Despite the fact that it had already been a few days since their almost kiss, Keiko still found herself unable to completely relax around the raven haired detective. He had entered her mind, uninvitedly plaguing all of her thoughts; he refused to leave. It genuinely frustrated her to no end, and she mentally cursed herself for being unable to entirely focus on the investigation. She knew full well that the Kira investigation should come first. 

However, that was much easier said than done. A part of her found that she just couldn’t stop thinking about what could have happened...no, what would have happened if L had actually kissed her that night. 

This was because, if he really had kissed her, Keiko knew she would have kissed him back. She would have kissed him without thinking about all of the possible consequences. A kiss was never simply just a kiss. After being cheated on twice now, Keiko knew that. She knew that a mere kiss, whether it was intended or not, came with many other kinds of complications. Emotional complications.

Keiko knew that, with her recent break up and the current situation with the Kira investigation, she wasn’t in the best place. She was a mess. Light Yagami had hurt her, possibly even used her for his own personal gain. Not only that, but he was also probably Kira, a mass murderer; a monster. 

The worst part was, if that was all true, it meant that she had been dumb enough to trust him, to fall for him. It was more than enough to tear her up on the inside. 

She knew that, despite her emotions, she had to keep on investigating in order to find out the truth. There were many questions that she needed answers to, that she was determined to get answers to no matter what the cost. 

Keiko knew it would probably hurt even more to know the truth, but it would be a lot more agonizing to never know. She couldn’t live life like that, she knew she was in far too deep. There would be no getting out now. These questions plagued her entire existence, and would continue to plague her until she had answers. 

Was her ex-boyfriend really Kira, and was the girl he cheated on her with, Misa Amane, the Second Kira? On that note, did Light really cheat on her like she thought, or had he actually been the victim in that situation like he insisted? Or perhaps, was Light playing her all along like L thought? 

These were the types of questions that she desperately needed answered, and she felt like, if they didn’t get answered, she would go crazy. 

No, she was already well on her way to going crazy. 

The whole investigation had been one big mess. When she started investigating the case on her own, she never expected that she would be contacted by the ever-so-secretive, world-renowned L to help solve the case. She never expected that her boyfriend would become the prime suspect, and she certainly never expected that she would get so personally involved in the case. 

Adding in a possible kiss with the world’s greatest detective  _ definitely _ wasn’t what Keiko expected to happen. 

However, the fact was that it  _ did _ almost happen and now Keiko would now have to find answers to even more questions. Questions Keiko wasn’t sure she should answer, especially given the current circumstances. She knew she didn’t have the time for these questions, but they were still ringing through her mind. 

What did their almost kiss mean? Did he truly want to kiss her, or was it all just an act? Did the fact that Keiko would have kissed him back mean that she liked him, even if it was only a little bit? Or had she just been intrigued at the thought to kiss the world renowned detective, the enigma, L? 

Keiko wasn’t even sure she would get answers to her first set of questions, let alone the second set. This left her feeling not only very tired but also quite frustrated. She swore that she had never felt so frustrated ever in her life. It felt like, no matter what ended up happening, it wouldn’t be anything good. 

The girl let out a soft sigh, running a hand through her slightly tousled hair. It was nearing one in the morning and there still had been no news. No new victims. Meaning that it was even more likely that her ex-boyfriend was Kira.

_ Wonderful. _

Deciding that it was getting too late for her to properly function, Keiko stood up. She stretched a moment, watching the raven haired detective sitting on a chair in front of her as she weighed her options. She didn’t want to risk leaving the hotel room in case there were any new developments with the investigation, but she also starting to find it rather hard to keep her eyes open. There was only one good solution.

_ The couch it is again... _ she thought, stifling a yawn as she headed over. 

Keiko wasn’t sure if she could actually get a good rest, she actually doubted it, but she figured that it was worth a shot. She grabbed one of the pillows from the couch and the extra blanket that was sitting in front of the coffee table, and made herself comfortable. 

It only took a few moments for her to drift off...

_ “L-Light-kun,” Keiko softly called out to her ex-boyfriend. He was sitting, cross legged, in front of his bed in the dimly lit cell. She could hear her heart pounding in her chest as she walked forward towards the cell, waiting in anticipation for his response.  _

_ Upon hearing his name, Light’s head quickly snapped up and she could see deep into his wide light brown eyes; they were round and pleading. He quickly stood up and rushed over to the front of his cell, getting as close to Keiko as he could. His hands gripped the bars of the cell, and he stared straight into Keiko’s eyes, tugging once more on her heartstrings.  _

_ Keiko bit her lip. She had to try to remain strong, no matter what. _

_ “K-Keiko-chan!” Light yelled out to his ex-girlfriend. She could hear the desperation hidden deep within his voice “you can surely see how ridiculous this is! I swear I’m innocent! You have to believe me, right?” _

_ Even with the emotion in his voice, his words felt as though they had been rehearsed. It was all very puzzling to Keiko. It was getting harder and harder for her to trust her ex-boyfriend. She truly wanted to, but something inside of her was telling her that trusting him again would be a huge mistake. Something told her that she shouldn’t have trusted Light Yagami at all, let alone get involved with him.  _

_ Before Keiko even had the chance to respond, a certain detective’s voice suddenly rang out from behind her.  _

_ “No. That’s where you are wrong,” L started, “you are not innocent, Light Yagami. Or should I say...you are not innocent, Kira.” _

_ His voice grabbed Keiko’s attention, pulling her away from her ex-boyfriend. She turned around to face the world’s greatest detective. His dark eyes met Light’s, and she could see the coldness as it dripped from his piercing gaze. She had to stop herself from shivering, despite the room itself not being cold. _

_ “B-but I’m not Kira, how could you say that?!” Light demanded, crossing his arms defensively in front of his chest. _

_ “It has been thirteen days since you have been under surveillance. It has also been thirteen days since Kira last killed. Coincidence? I think not,” L responded, keeping his eyes focused on Light’s, “one would be a fool to believe you’re innocent, Light-kun.” _

_ “I swear, I’m really not him, I’m being framed!” was Light’s desperate response. He turned to look over at Keiko once more, “you know I’m innocent, right, Keiko-chan?!” _

_ Keiko took a deep breath and glanced between the two of them. She could see the pleading look in Light’s eyes, and the hardness of L’s gaze. Somehow, Light’s words still didn’t quite match up. She knew, despite wanting to fall into those deep eyes of his, she couldn’t risk it. The evidence was stacked too high against her ex-boyfriend. She no longer was sure that she could, or even should, trust him.  _

_ It was hard, but she had to speak the truth, especially because something just felt off to her. She took in a deep breath before finally speaking, “n-no. I don’t know. I’m sorry, Light-kun…for all I know, you really could be Kira…after all, that’s what it looks like right now. If that’s really true, then I refuse to be a fool any longer.” _

_ L took a step forward towards the cell. Towards Light, facing him head on. There was no fear in his eyes, only determination and amusement. _

_ “You heard her...now, why don’t you give it up, Kira. The game is up, you’re no longer fooling anyone.” _

_ His strong words reverberated off of Light’s holding cell. To Keiko, it felt as though the world had entirely stopped moving. She could feel her heart slowly pumping as she waited, yearning for a reaction, any at all, from her ex-boyfriend.  _

_ After a long moment of silence, Keiko heard laughing coming from Light’s general direction. It was soft at first, but it slowly grew louder and more malicious. More threatening. It was unnerving for Keiko. For probably the first time, Keiko didn’t feel safe around her ex-boyfriend. Light lifted his head up, his face illuminated by the bright light on the ceiling above him. He ran a hand through his already disheveled light brown hair.  _

_ “Alright...like you said, I suppose there’s no use putting on a show anymore; I can’t fool you guys anymore...you’re right, L. I’m him,” Light chuckled, turning his head so that he was facing both Keiko and L once more, “I am Kira.” _

_ There was a wild, almost feral, look in his eyes. It was a stark contrast to the round and innocent look he had on his face only moments before. He didn’t look like the man that Keiko had fallen in love with; he looked like a monster. Keiko’s blood ran cold and she felt as though she had just been punched in the stomach. _

_ “N-no,” she choked out, her eyes filling up with tears. Her worst fear had just been confirmed. She had loved a monster, a mass murderer, without even knowing it. It was her fault for letting herself be fooled by him, his sweet words and his soft kisses.  _

_ She had loved Kira.  _

_ That fact now made her sick to her stomach. It was one thing to suspect him, it was another thing entirely to hear the truth coming from his lips. It was almost too much for her to handle, she felt as though the world was collapsing around her.  _

_ “Yes,” Light laughed maniacally, “it’s true...and, on that note, you’re quite fun to fool, Keiko-chan…” _

_ While Keiko felt like her heart had been ripped out of her chest, she noticed that L seemed unfazed by Light’s sudden confession. He had been expecting this sort of result all along, of course. She had been the only fool. _

_ “I knew it,” L smirked. He took another step forward, now face to face with Light, only a few inches and the cell bars separating the two, “all I needed was just a confession, which you’ve just given me. Thank you, Light-kun. This will be quite useful for convicting you.” _

_ “Did you really think that you would be convicting me?” was Light’s chilling response. Keiko was unsuccessful in holding in a shiver. She closely studied the two men; her ex-boyfriend with his eyes tinted red and L, with his dark eyes. He looked unafraid and ready for anything else Light was about to throw at him.  _

_ Or so he thought. _

_ All of the sudden, the detective unexpectedly doubled over, clutching at his heart. Keiko watched in horror as L writhed in pain. She could feel her heart breaking as she was powerless to stop it. Unfortunately, she knew that there was nothing she could do to help him.  _

_ “Soon you’ll be dead; I’ve won, L.” _

_ “L,” Keiko cried, her lips trembling a little. She knelt down, grabbing the detective and holding him in her arms. His eyes were still open, but just barely, and she could tell he couldn’t even muster up the strength to speak. On top of everything, Keiko could still hear her ex-boyfriend laughing in the background.  _

_ “L,” she cried once more, as the detective’s eyes started to close for good. Keiko was near hysterical now, her body now fully trembling, her eyes now dripping tears.  _

_ She couldn’t lose him, not like this. Not after they had finally solved the case that they had spent months on. Keiko couldn’t bear to see L like this, a detective she looked up to, killed by Kira, her ex-boyfriend. It couldn’t end like this, it was unfair. And yet, here it was happening, and she was powerless to stop it.  _

_ Keiko was a multitude of emotions: sad, hurt, enraged. There was now one thing that she knew for sure; she would never be able to forgive Light Yagami.  _

_ He had tricked her. He had killed thousands of people, and now, he had killed L. Somehow, she had to stop him before he killed anyone else. _

 

L’s POV:

The detective let out a soft sigh and closed his eyes. It was now nearing three in the morning and there were still no new developments with the investigation. On top of that, he had been thinking for hours and still hadn’t come up with a solid theory as to why the heart attacks simply stopped after confining Light and Misa. 

He had been so sure that Light, in order to keep his name clean, would have found a way to keep on killing criminals even after being taken in his cell for confinement. 

If things kept continuing the way that they were, it would only be a matter of time before he could have the two of them arrested and convicted of being Kira and the Second Kira. However, Light’s original goal with his confinement was to prove to himself and to L and the rest of the Task Force that he wasn’t Kira. 

Things just weren’t really adding up. 

_ Surely, if Light Yagami were Kira, he would have been smart enough to figure out a way for criminals to keep dying even after being confined…that way, his name would easily be cleared…however, it’s now been thirteen days since the start of his confinement. Why would Light want to convict himself on purpose?  _

L leaned forward, studying Light Yagami’s sleeping form on the video. His eyes narrowed as he zeroed in on his face. He looked peaceful and innocent. Too innocent.

_ Was he truly unconscious of his actions as Kira? …for some reason, I find that highly unlikely…it seems almost too simple, too easy of an excuse. And he must know, even if he was acting as Kira unconsciously, he would still he punished for his actions. There’s no excuse for murder…  _

The raven haired detective continued to watch Light as he slept, unconsciously reaching down for his stash of sugar. He needed a boost. After a moment he realized that he had already gone through his stash. There was another stash at the other side of the hotel room, but he’d have to get up first.

_ Time for a momentary break, I guess. _

L reluctantly stood up from his chair, heading towards the table holding the extra sweets in the back of the hotel room. He had nearly arrived when he heard the soft whimper coming from Keiko’s direction. The detective turned around to get a good look at her. 

The girl was curled up, her chest rising and falling as she lay fast asleep on the couch of the hotel room. The detective knew by now that it wasn’t uncommon for her to move around or to make noises in her sleep. 

He had grown rather used to her presence at night, especially seeing how often Keiko fell asleep at the Task Force headquarters, despite having her own separate hotel room with a comfortable bed. 

_ I suspect it’s because she doesn’t want to miss any new developments with the investigation…how admirable of her…it shows how far she’s willing to go to be seen as a true detective.   _

He chuckled a little, slightly shaking his head. The detective was about to keep moving when he heard yet another whimper coming from Keiko’s direction. He stopped a moment and listened, really listened. It sounded as though she was crying in her sleep. 

Despite having heard her make noises in her sleep multiple times before, this time was a little different. He could tell just from the desperation in her voice that she was having a nightmare. A rather terrible nightmare, judging from how vulnerable Keiko sounded. 

L could feel the pangs in his chest starting up again, which he fought rather hard to ignore. He had been feeling them every time he knew that Keiko was close by, something he was starting to find rather annoying. The detective knew that he had to control himself or else he would be risking the whole investigation. He simply couldn’t have that. 

The detective turned back around so that he could no longer see the sleeping girl.

_ I cannot allow myself to have any feelings for Keiko...that would only distract me from that case, and I can’t allow that. Not now, not when there’s so much at stake...not when there are so many questions that need answers. It’s over 30% possible that if I turn back around now, I will start to fall for her… _

He knew that he should have just let her be. 

However, despite his better judgement, the curious detective turned his head back around to get a better look at her. He noticed that she had shaken off her blanket, it was now lying in a puddle by her feet. He also noticed the dots of perspiration on her forehead, signaling that she was having a stressful dream. It was way more than a usual nightmare, that much he was able to tell. 

Before he knew it, it was slowly walking towards her, his sweets suddenly almost forgotten. It was as though he was being pulled in her direction. He found that he was unable to stop himself. He was so wrapped up in her. 

_ I’ll only be fixing her blanket...that’s all...  _ he reasoned with himself as he reached the edge of the couch where she was sleeping,  _ after all, I can’t have her waking up cold. If she’s cold, she won’t be able to focus as well on the case after she wakes up. That action in itself isn’t that risky, it’ll just be a few seconds… it’s really not a big deal to fix someone’s blanket, it doesn’t mean anything. It’s just a nice gesture that people do.  _

L took a seat on the couch next to Keiko, carefully fixing the blanket so that her body was covered once more. 

Afterwards, instead of getting up like he had originally planned, he studied her a moment. Somehow he didn’t want to get up quite yet, he wanted to test something first. The detective knew it was a risky move but a part of him wanted to stay and make sure she was okay. He wanted to make sure that her nightmare was over.

He noted that the added warmth of the blanket must have somewhat soothed her, because she had stopped making noise in her sleep.

However, he could still see that the nightmare she was having was still clearly bothering her, as marked by the perspiration on her forehead and her still trembling body.

_ Something very traumatic must have happened in this nightmare to evoke this strong of a reaction from her… _

He hesitantly reached over, lightly resting his hand over the small of her back, which was now covered by the hotel’s blanket. He was so close to touching her.

A part of him knew that he had already outstayed his welcome and was well overdue for getting up, but another part of him wanted to stay by her side. He knew full well that he had veered straight into dangerous territory, but he felt as though he was being pulled in by her. She just looked so vulnerable, so innocent as she slept. 

He remembered once again the sadness, the desperation in her voice earlier. It had intrigued him, it had made his chest ache, a feeling that he found he was having quite often whenever she was around. 

L thought back to a few nights ago, remembering how Matsuda had comforted Keiko when she had been crying. He slowly raised his hand back up, the way Matsuda had done, and was about to touch the small of Keiko’s back when he hesitated a moment. 

Was he really capable of doing that? 

Was he really capable of comforting another person? 

The detective honestly wasn’t sure. He had never done something like that before, but a part of him wanted to find out. Another part of him was telling him how dangerous it was but he eventually found that he was unable to stop himself.

_ I simply can’t work knowing that she’s like this, it’ll just be too distracting…besides, it’s not like there’s much to work with as far as the case is right now.  _

After a moment, he hesitantly reached down, and lightly patted her back in an attempt to comfort her. L continued on, giving her back awkward pats. He knew that he was more than inexperienced with comforting people, but judging from Keiko’s reaction, he was doing an okay job of it so far. He had gotten her to stop trembling so much. 

A few more seconds went by without a negative reaction from her and he concluded that she was stable once more. L rested his hand on the small of her back when he was finished, just basking in the quiet. He supposed he should get up and finally get the sugar that he had been craving. 

The detective leaned closer to the edge of the couch, and was about to stand up when he felt a sudden slight tug on the edge of his shirt. He moved slightly so that he could glance in Keiko’s direction and noticed that her eyes were now fluttering open. Once her eyes were fully open, she stared, doe-eyed at the detective for a moment, drinking in his form before breathing in a big sigh of relief. 

Before L even had a chance to register what was going on, Keiko sat up on the couch. She inched forward, reaching over to envelope the detective in an awkward hug. She wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his shoulder as she did so. 

“L…y-y-you’re really here,” she muttered in his ear, “y-you’re w-well and a-alive…”

L stiffened, unsure how to proceed with the affection he was now getting from her. He could feel the warmth emitting from Keiko’s body, he could feel her heart as it slowly beat in her chest, and he could also sense the emotion hidden behind her stuttered words. 

The raven haired detective could simply feel her, vulnerable and real.

He knew that the girl was not a threat to him, she never had been. Knowing this, he decided that it would be okay for him to relax. It felt strange, as he was nowhere near used to having this much physical contact with someone, but it didn’t feel bad. 

In fact, L deduced that it felt rather nice.

He rather liked how it felt having Keiko hold him, but he had to remind himself that it was only temporary. L had to remind himself that this was only happening because of a nightmare she had, no other reason. He also figured that Keiko was probably still half asleep, or at least she hadn’t fully realized herself what was happening. 

That she was hugging the world’s greatest detective in one of her most vulnerable moments to date.

“L,” Keiko softly breathed out, her head still resting on his shoulder, “please be careful…” 

_ Please be...careful? Me? ...is this about her nightmare? Did Kira, Light, finally find a way to get rid of me? If so, does this mean that she’s taking my side over her ex-boyfriend…? And, if so, perhaps…does she care about me?  _ He quickly shook that thought away,  _ no she’s only confused...she’s still hurting because of Light right now. It’s only natural for her to feel drawn to me at the moment because we’ve been spending a lot of time together. I’m a rebound in a way. It doesn’t truly mean anything, and I suspect it her possible feelings for me will clear up soon enough.  _

Knowing this, there was no way he could allow himself to hug her back. 

He couldn’t risk it. He had risked so much already. 

“You should try and go back to sleep,” L said simply. He attempted to pull away from the partially asleep girl and her warmth. Getting sucked in even more would be way too dangerous, “it’s late for you. Your body needs sleep. Proper sleep.” 

Keiko, finally realizing that he was pulling away from her, rubbed her eyes a moment and looked up at him. Her eyes widened, as if she finally realized the absurdity of the situation. She gave an awkward little cough, “r-right...I’m sorry, Ryuzaki-san, for bothering you...but...you should try and get some sleep as well. You stay up late every night...do ever sleep? Surely even hot shot detectives like you get tired.”

L stiffened at her comment. It had been, in fact, a couple days since he had gotten any real sleep at all.

“I’m fine, Kagami-san,” he said after a long moment, “don’t worry about me.”

With that, L got up from the couch. As much as he wanted to, he didn’t glance back behind him. He waited until he got back at his desk and was seated for a few minutes. When he finally decided it was safe to look back, Keiko was fast asleep once more.

  
  
  



	33. Chapter Thirty-three: Uncertainty

 

**Day Fourteen of Surveillance:**

Rem’s POV:

Rem stood warily behind the calculative man, Kyosuke Higuchi. He was dressed to the nines in navy blue business suit, his desk nearly empty aside from the death note she had recently given him.  

She didn’t trust the man sitting in front of her, not a single bit. However, she knew that giving him the death note appeared to be the only way she could successfully save Misa. It was a rather unfortunate situation, but if she got Higuchi to use the death note for his own selfish gain, then Misa would be more than most likely cleared of suspicion. Luckily, she was rather certain that it wouldn’t be long before Higuchi succumbed to the power of the death note. 

“You will continue to kill criminals whose names are broadcast on the news; that’s the only condition,” she started, “outside of that, you are free to use the death note however you wish. Just think of the possibilities.”

_ If everything happens as Light Yagami planned, then this should help save Misa. It better, or else. _

“Do as I say, and you will get what you want. In the end it works out well for the both of us. I suppose for someone sitting in your position, you’d call this ‘good business’.” 

Rem watched as the man nodded. She could not see his face, but she could hear his malicious laughter as he slowly started to write down names in the death note. The shinigami missed Misa dearly, but she knew that if all went well, she would be able to see her again soon. 

 

**Day Fifteen of Surveillance:**

Keiko’s POV:

Keiko, despite her better judgement, decided to glance over at the raven haired detective. The two were alone at headquarters, but the rest of the Task Force was due to arrive within the next hour. She wished that the other members would hurry up. The last thing she wanted right now was to be alone with L, but yet here she was stuck in that very same predicament. It was like she was just begging for another awkward disaster to occur.

The wait, though it’d probably only be about a half hour to an hour until the rest of the team arrived, felt like years to Keiko. Time was going by slow, agonizingly slow. She was aware of every minute, every second, and every millisecond that went by. 

Keiko had a nagging feeling that it would only be a matter of time before she embarrassed herself in front of L again. So much had happened between them in such a short amount of time. She slowly recounted each and every encounter between them recently in her head. First there were the arguments over whether or not Light was innocent, followed by the almost-kiss between them, and most recently, the whole post-nightmare hug fiasco. It was becoming quite hard for Keiko to keep up with what was going on between them. 

The girl let out a grimace as she thought back, reliving the experiences and emotions in her head. Processing everything was becoming a nearly impossible task, there were a load of emotions swirling through her. However, the main emotion she had been feeling lately was plain embarrassment. 

_ Why do embarrassing things always happen to me? It’s not like I asked for any of this happen, I just sort of accidentally got myself roped into this mess of an investigation....and now this on top of everything...why me? It’s not fair.  _

Keiko let out a soft sigh, her gaze still directed at the detective. He had his nose buried in the files on Misa Amane once again, probably hoping to find any scrap of evidence he could use to properly convict her. It was, after all, becoming abundantly clear that she was the Second Kira, acting out of her love for Light. At the thought of her ex-boyfriend and very likely mass murderer, Keiko shuddered. 

_ Again...why me…? I fall in love for the first time with Daicho, and I get cheated on. I fall in love a second time, and not only do I get cheated on, but I also find out that my boyfriend’s more than most likely the worst killer the world’s ever seen! Not only that, but now here I am, stuck in this hotel investigating with the world’s greatest detective, L, and I keep on embarrassing myself! And yet, I’m despite everything, I’m still finding myself being drawn towards him… _

She knew that she should have also been attempting to contribute to the investigation, but she found herself being unable to focus. It appeared that she had been having that problem a lot lately. Keiko’s gaze had finally shifted from the detective to the paper in front of her, but she had now read the same sentence approximately twenty times in a row. 

All she could really focus on was the fact that Light was looking rather guilty and the fact that she had willingly almost shared a kiss with the world’s greatest detective. Oh, and those embarrassing moments that she kept stacking up. There was no way that she could forget about  _ that.  _ Especially the fact that her recent nightmare had featured L dying at the hands of her ex-boyfriend. She definitely wasn’t sure how she felt about that. 

_ Just great.  _

Things were clearly shaping up to be just peachy. 

_ How so very professional of me...I’m a wreck. And what did that nightmare even mean? It clearly had quite an effect on me…does this mean that I...care...about L? Could it possibly mean that I...feel something for him? Even worse, could I even possibly have a crush on him?  _

Keiko could feel herself flushing at the thought and her eyes flickered back over towards L, who was still inspecting Misa’s files.

_ I suppose it’s possible, after all, I did admire him even before I knew who he was and put a face to his name. He ended up being much younger and more attractive than I thought, even with his eccentricities. Those qualities of his just seem to fit him perfectly. I mean, he wouldn’t be L without them... _

She knew that, if she was, in fact, crushing on the world’s greatest detective, nothing good would be able to come of it. The Kira investigation would always come first, no, it had to come first. And even then, she doubted the detective would ever feel the same way about her. It was impossible.

As a matter of fact, Keiko doubted he had ever felt that way about anyone, well, ever. It looked as though he was pretty reclusive, trusting only Watari. It wasn’t as though she could blame him, he was only being cautious because of the nature of his profession. A profession that he was damn good at, but Keiko supposed that even though he acted cool on the outside, his life had to be rather lonely. 

While Keiko couldn’t entirely discern how she felt about the raven haired detective, one thing she knew for sure was that there would be no simple way for her to stop her emotions. If she did have a crush on him, however small, then she was rather screwed. For better or for worse, her feelings had a mind of their own. Keiko knew from experience that there was little she could do to control them. 

She supposed that, if she had it her way, she never would have fallen for Light Yagami. Then none of this would have ever happened. Keiko wouldn’t have had her heart stomped on once again. She wouldn’t have gotten seriously involved with the Kira investigation...she never would have met the world’s greatest detective.

_ But...wait...even though I suffered the misfortune of going through yet another heartbreak and the whole ordeal with the investigation, would I really go back in time? Would I really change the current course of my life? Though my personal happiness was the cost, I’m achieving my professional dream. Would I really go back in time and pass up my chance to meet the world’s greatest detective just because of a few rather embarrassing moments? Because I might have a crush on him, too, on top of that?  _

L must have sensed that he was being watched once again because he looked over at the girl. To Keiko’s detriment, he had an amused expression on his face, which made her feel even more flustered. 

_ Great, he must be well entertained...but what’s worse is that it looks like he’s not even affected by any of this...it’s only one-sided...which is even more embarrassing.  _

It was abundantly clear to her that he was enjoying the current situation. His apparent calmness after the recent events between them further proved her hypothesis that she was the only one that felt something, the only one being affected. 

His behavior also told her that her previous suspicion had been true; he was never actually going to kiss her. In fact, it was probably just another one of his questionable tactics to see if she was actually getting over a certain Light Yagami. 

That sudden realization struck her with such force that Keiko accidentally dropped one of the papers she had been absentmindedly holding onto the floor. She looked away from the raven haired detective, now staring at the lone paper laying on the floor but yet she made no attempt to pick it up. 

_ Why does that realization hurt so much? It’s not like he’s one to care about anyone anyway. I know that. Does this mean I really do have a crush on him? ...but...wait a second...the other night, after my nightmare, why was he sitting on the couch in the first place? I have no way of knowing, and I’m definitely not about to ask him now…  _

“Keiko-chan?” the detective drawled. The sudden sound of L’s voice broke her away from her relentless thoughts.

“H-huh?” Keiko glanced up, now face to face with a certain detective once again. She could see into his dark yet curious eyes, and she instinctively jumped back a little bit in her chair, “w-what is it?”

He leaned forward a little more, so that his face was next to her ear, and spoke rather softly, “you know that I don’t bite, right?”

Keiko’s eyes slightly widened. Whatever it was she expected him to say, it certainly wasn’t that. L then bent down and picked up the paper she dropped.

“I-I know,” she weakly stuttered out as she grabbed the paper out of his hands. He was still studying her, gauging her reaction, and Keiko felt uncomfortable under her close scrutiny.  

“If you truly know that, then you know there’s no reason for you to be so jumpy around me,” he replied, and Keiko could almost see the wheels turning in his head. She swallowed hard, feeling as though he could read her mind, as though he had figured out what she had been thinking about. 

Keiko turned away, unable to keep her eyes locked with his any longer. She attempted to focus her attention back onto the papers in front of her. After a few minutes had passed, she quickly looked over at L a moment and saw that he had also returned to his work. It was as though their most recent interaction had never happened. 

A few more minutes passed and there was a sudden beeping from L’s computer. L tapped on a button, and a gothic W for Watari appeared on the screen.

“Ryuzaki, I have just received word that there have been more heart attacks. It is believed that between fifty to fifty-five criminals were targeted. I will be sending over the files on all the victims now. It’s believed that the deaths occured this morning about a couple hours ago…”

_ What the?! What the hell is going on?! More people were killed, but how?! If Light is Kira, there’s no way he’d be able to kill criminals like that! We’ve been keeping a close eye on him...wait...does this mean he’s not Kira? But…all the evidence points to him! This really doesn’t make any sense! If he’s not Kira then he’s been put under surveillance for no reason… _

“Thank you, Watari,” she heard L respond, “well...this is certainly an...intriguing development…”

“Yes, it truly is,” Watari replied, “I’ve just sent the files to your computer. I will be sending in more information as it comes in.”

With that, the call between them ended. 

Keiko felt like her world, which had already been turned upside down only a couple weeks before, had been flipped upside down once more. She wasn’t sure what to believe or how to feel. If she hadn’t been able to focus before, she certainly wouldn’t be able to focus now. There were too many questions and so little answers. 

_ Is my ex-boyfriend really Kira? If so, how did he manage to kill people without having any knowledge of them and while in confinement? It doesn’t make any sense, but even so, the evidence points to him. If he isn't Kira, then was he framed like he said he was? Or did his power transfer to someone else? Is this even a power? Murdering people, even criminals, doesn’t quite seem like a superpower. There has to be a logical reason why this is happening...but nothing is making sense! _

Keiko turned to look over at L, bewilderment written all over her face, “w-what is this...what do you think is going on, Ryuzaki-san? Does this mean that Light really isn’t Kira? As you must know, there’s no way he could have done this…given his current circumstances, it’d be nearly impossible.”

The great detective was quiet a moment, as if in deep thought, “hmm...honestly? It’s quite strange. I’m not sure what to make of things at the moment…”

Keiko let out a deep sigh,  _ great...if he doesn’t know, then no one does… _

She was deep in thought as she looked over the files Watari sent over with L. As Watari had said, they had all died due to heart attacks. There was no way that Light could do this, right? How would she feel if his name were cleared because of this? Would how she possibly felt about L change? There was no way she could tell for sure.

All of the sudden, she heard the door of the hotel room open. The sound of frantic footsteps soon followed. When she looked behind her, she noticed that the person in question was none other than a frazzled looking Touta Matsuda. 

“Do you guys know what’s going on?! I just heard that two weeks worth of criminals were murdered all at once! It apparently happened just this morning!” the young cop burst out as he entered the room. 

A much less energetic Aizawa followed behind him, “yeah, it appears that Kira is back…”

“So I’ve heard,” L responded, a look of annoyance crossing his features. Keiko wasn’t sure if it was because of Matsuda being way too energetic this early in the morning or if it was because it meant that Light Yagami could possibly be in the clear, or both.

“Did you already inform the chief?” Matsuda asked, looking between Keiko and the detective. 

Keiko shook her head, “no, he doesn’t know yet. We’ve only just found out recently ourselves.”

Matsuda nodded in understanding, then quickly ran over to the computer with the chief’s surveillance feed, hitting the speakerphone button, “guess what, Chief Yagami! Kira started killing again!”

Light’s father looked up towards the intercom box, his jaw dropped down to the floor and his eyes were wide, “what?! So this means-”

He was cut off by an overly excited Matsuda, “it looks like Kira was only resting, but now he’s started punishing criminals again!”

“T-that means,” the chief started once more, “I-I...I really shouldn’t be happy that people have been killed, but at least this means that Light’s name will finally be cleared...no wait...knowing Ryuzaki-san, this won’t be enough to clear him quite yet…”

As if on cue, the Task Force looked over at the raven haired detective. Keiko also looked over, as she was also quite curious.

“Well...he’s officially in the gray, I guess,” L finally responded, earning a cheer from Matsuda. Keiko could hear the reluctance in his voice. 

_ Of course...if Light isn’t Kira then L has to start over with his investigation...which would mean more work for us...but wouldn’t it be a good thing if Light was cleared?  _

“Didya hear that, chief?!” he questioned, pumping an arm up into the air.

“Yeah,” the chief nodded, a small smile forming on his face. “It’s a hell of a lot better than him being completely guilty, thank goodness.”

“I’m sure as grays go, he’s a shade closer to being cleared! Let’s go tell Light!” Matsuda cried. 

“No,” L responded. His voice was loud and firm, as if he had already thought this through. Keiko had no doubt in her mind that he had. He continued on, “don’t. That’s not a good idea at the moment, Matsuda-san.”

Keiko found herself agreeing with the raven haired detective, and nodded her head. She, too, was reluctant, “yes, we shouldn’t tell Light about this yet…”

“B-but why not?” Matsuda looked between the two of them. His dark eyes stopped on Keiko’s. He looked more than a little hurt, which made her feel guilty, “I thought that you would be the most happy, well aside from the chief, that is...after all, I know how you feel-er felt about Light-kun…”

Keiko bit her lip, feeling rather torn. She knew that Matsuda was right, she really should have been happier at the news but instead she felt more confused than ever. 

_ Perhaps I’m still salty about the way he hurt me...because even if Light isn’t Kira, the truth is that he probably still cheated on me...he might claim that he didn’t, but how could I compete with a blonde model like Misa Amane? And...there’s all this complication now between L and I...well...at least on my side, there’s complication, as I doubt he feels anything towards me...but I can’t say I don’t still feel anything for Light, because I do...it’s just...oh, I don’t know! Both my head and my heart hurt! _

“I’m just not sure...it’s all so confusing, Matsuda-san...all the signs pointed to him. But now, with new criminals being killed…what does it all mean?” she finally responded, “I’m not sure...I think we need to keep an eye on him for a little longer.”

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see L nodding his head. It appeared that he was agreeing with her. That would be a first.

L flicked on Light’s intercom, “hello, Light?”

“What is it, Ryuzaki-san?” Light responded, his eyes were wide. It been a couple days since L had last updated him on the current situation. Keiko watched as he sat up on the dingy bed in his cell, focusing all his attention on the speaker in the corner of his cell.

“You’ve been in here just over two weeks and not a single new criminal has been killed...are you ready to confess?” L questioned.

“Don’t be ridiculous!” Light cried out. Keiko could hear the frustration in his voice, and it pulled at her. He continued on, his voice growing louder, “I’m not Kira! I keep on telling you that! I understand why you feel that way but even if the evidence does point to me, I swear, this is a set up! I’m not him! Zoom in and look at my eyes or something! Go ahead and get a good look! You tell me: do these eyes look like the eyes of someone who is lying?!”

Light faced the camera so that his wide eyes could easily be seen, and Keiko had to admit, he was right. He didn’t look like he was lying at all. There were none of the tell-tale signs.

“Hmmm…” L muttered, he turned off Light’s microphone and turned on Misa’s instead. 

Keiko had a good idea where this was heading. Her theory was confirmed when he heard L speak once more. 

“Amane-san, are you ready to tell me who Kira is or not? I know that you are the Second Kira.”

Misa, who was still blindfolded, looked up for the source of the voice, “huh? That again? I already told you, I’m not the Second Kira and I know nothing about who the real Kira is...I wish I knew but I don’t...if I did, I would have thanked him for punishing the burglar who killed my parents. To me, Kira is a hero…”

Keiko felt a little sick to her stomach at Misa’s words,  _ Kira’s no hero...he’s a murderer. _

After a minute more of Misa’s rambling, L finally had enough and clicked off her microphone. 

“I don’t really understand what’s going on here,” he muttered. It was so quiet that Keiko was sure no one else but her, because she was sitting right next to him, heard it. 

She agreed with him, she didn’t quite understand what was going on either. The evidence all pointed to Light, but now all of the sudden Kira was killing again? It made no sense. 

Keiko just had an inkling that, whatever was going on, it wasn’t anything good. She had a feeling that her life, which had already gone through drastic changes, would now definitely never be the same again. 

  
  



	34. Chapter Thirty-four: Crush

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to my good friend, Donna :D <3 Happy birthday, Donna!

 

 

**Day Twenty-two of Surveillance:**

Keiko’s POV:

A week quickly passed on by, meaning that it had now officially been seven days since Kira started killing criminals again. Keiko was still left with way more questions than answers. Not only that, but she was still uncertain about how she was supposed to think or feel about anything. Nothing was making any sense anymore. Not that it had been making a lot of sense in the first place, because it felt like the whole Kira investigation had been one big mess after another. 

Keiko had now spent months working on the investigation. All she wanted to do was solve the case once and for all. Throughout the investigation, she had been hoping for the best: that her ex-boyfriend wasn’t Kira, that they could find out who Kira actually was, and put the case to rest. 

That certainly would have been the best case scenario.

However, her dream world had been shattered once she had seen Light and Misa kissing. After that little incident, Keiko couldn’t keep on ignoring the fact that her ex-boyfriend was the primary suspect in the Kira case any longer. 

She had to face the hard truth. L was positive that Misa Amane was the Second Kira and the evidence was stacked up high against Light Yagami. That meant that not only was her ex-boyfriend a cheater, but it was also very likely that he was also Kira. 

This was the truth that Keiko had finally resolved herself to think, and now here she was, watching Light during his confinement only to find out that Kira was still killing criminals. Something that her ex-boyfriend was unable to do in his current situation. It was quite a lot for her to take in. 

Not only that, but now, despite the countless hours she and the rest of the Task Force had spent working on the case, it felt like they were now backtracking. It felt like they were right back where they started.

Did this mean that Light Yagami was fully innocent? 

Maybe so, but maybe not. However, it was worth noting that there was no way for him to kill any criminals during his confinement. Keiko knew that was impossible. She supposed that there was still a chance he could have been Kira or been acting as Kira prior to his confinement but that didn’t make much sense to her. It could have been like Light said, he could have been framed, but that also made no sense to her. 

_ If only we had some sort of idea of how Kira kills…it’s clear that he doesn’t have to be physically present to make a death happen, but that makes no sense. Is it like a superpower? Does such a power even exist? If so, the power to kill people is something no human should have, it would only corrupt people. It doesn’t make logical sense as a superpower, but it also doesn’t make logical sense how all of these criminals are dying of heart attacks. Without knowing how Kira kills, will we even be able to find Kira?  _

Without knowing how Kira killed, Light was in the gray. Not fully guilty of being Kira, but also not fully innocent either. The evidence had pointed to him pretty well up until that point, but had they missed something? 

_ What if Light really was innocent?  _

Keiko toyed with that idea for a moment. If Light was innocent, would that mean someone had really framed him? If so, that would have been pretty impressive. She supposed that it was probably more likely that he was previously acting as Kira. If he was previously Kira, then why wasn’t he still Kira? Then again, if he had been Kira then why would he be willing to go under surveillance? Why would he risk being caught like that? 

It was enough to drive Keiko crazy. Neither extreme fully made sense, but how could Light be somewhere in the middle?  

She also couldn’t deny that she still felt something for Light. A part of her, though it was small, still missed him. After all, it had only been about a month, though it felt like longer, since she had broken up with him. Despite the miniscule part of her that missed him, Keiko knew that it would be foolish of her to take him back. There was no way she could do that knowing it was still likely he could be Kira, not to mention knowing that he had more than most likely cheated on her with Misa Amane. 

It just wasn’t worth it. 

Keiko was working on squashing the small part of her that still missed him. She was working on fully getting over Light Yagami. She figured that it would be best for her, and best for the Kira case in general, that she moved on. Besides, if it turned out that Light really was Kira, that would only mean that he had been using her from the very beginning. 

Admittedly, getting over Light Yagami hadn’t been an easy task for her. However, working with a certain raven haired detective made it much, much easier. She had to admit that she felt rather drawn to him. It could have just been a crush born from her admiration for him as a detective, but it was still a crush all the same. 

He was rather mysterious, and it was just enough for her to be rather curious about him. 

It blew her mind that she knew next to nothing about him and yet all she could find herself thinking lately was the fact that, if she dared to, she could easily lean over and touch him, maybe even kiss him. 

Not that she would ever dare to. She knew full well that it was off limits. 

It was an act so simple, yet so complicated. An act that would have many consequences, both intended and unintended. She knew that a kiss between might make the investigation a little more awkward, but she also couldn’t stop herself from thinking about it. Not since that one night together. Their almost-kiss was now etched in her mind forever.

A part of her wanted to just lean over and kiss him. Then she could say she had kissed the world’s greatest detective. Then she could say for sure whether her crush on him was merely surface level or if there was something more. That would mean her curiosity would be, at least momentarily, quenched. 

Another part of her wanted to kiss him just to see how he would react. Judging from how he guarded himself, she was almost certain that he had never kissed anyone before. It was clear that he was not used to being intimate with anyone, not even Watari. Therefore, she wondered how such an act would impact him. 

How did he really feel about her? It appeared that he wasn’t affected by her in the slightest, judging by his cold exterior. However, she wanted to know if, deep down, there was a part of him that cared about her at all; a part of him that was just as curious as she was about how a kiss between them would feel like. A part of him that wanted to kiss her just as much as she wanted to kiss him. 

She found herself being distracted by this thought often lately, even though the detective still frustrated her to no end. Perhaps it was just a way for her to stop thinking about Light and the Kira investigation for a moment, but it was a welcome distraction nonetheless. 

 

**Day Thirty-two of Surveillance:**

Keiko’s POV:

Keiko let out a soft sigh, running a hand through her slightly tousled hair. It had now been a little over two weeks since Kira started killing again, and it looked like he had no intentions of slowing down. She still found herself unsure about what to think or how to feel in regards to the Kira investigation, or her personal life, for that matter. To be fair, the two seemed rather intertwined at the moment. 

It was frustrating that a little over two weeks had passed on by and still nothing made sense. They didn’t even have any new leads to follow in case Light was innocent. Criminals kept on dying, but yet the investigation felt like it was slowing down. It had been two weeks of absolutely nothing. 

In fact, Keiko wasn’t sure how much more of this she could take. It was the same thing every day, new criminals would die but there was no clue as to who Kira was. Even the times of death seemed to be completely random. With the complete lack of pattern coupled with the lack of a proper lead, there wasn’t much they could do.

Keiko felt that she was reaching her limit, she was itching for something new to happen. She could sense that the detective was itching for something new to happen as well, given his defeated behavior. Something had to change, that much was for sure. 

_ But what…? It’s not like we can look for clues when there are none...however... _

Keiko glanced over at the surveillance screens. She watched as her ex-boyfriend tossed and turned in his bed, seemingly unable to get comfortable. It was clear to her that he was as restless as she was. 

_ If he’s truly guilty, how can we prove it from watching something like this? It’s not like he can kill criminals while under surveillance…therefore if he’s guilty then we can’t prove anything…and if he’s truly innocent then… _

Keiko let out another soft sigh as Light once again switched his sleeping position, his eyes closed. 

_ If he’s truly innocent then we need his help with solving the case. It’s clear the rest of us are getting nowhere…so wouldn’t it make sense to have extra brain power? Whether he’s guilty or innocent it seems there’s only one answer to our problem…it’s not like I want to be around him again but it appears that there’s no real way around it.  _

She knew that it would probably hurt to be around her ex-boyfriend once more, but she also knew that it would be best for the investigation. Knowing that, she decided that she couldn’t sit still any longer.  

Keiko stood up from the couch and cleared her throat a moment in hopes of getting L’s attention. It was something that was becoming increasingly hard to do, as it seemed he paid little attention to anything but the surveillance feed anymore. 

“Yes, is there something you wish to say, Kagami-san?” Keiko didn’t miss the quick glance that the raven haired detective shot her way. He had been sitting right next to her on the couch, casually flipping through some investigation papers. She could sense the boredom dripping in his tone. 

“As a matter of fact, there is,” Keiko responded, a little bit of attitude seeping into her voice. It was nearing midnight and she was too tired to hide her annoyance with the way things were going any longer. There was a lot that she wanted to say, a lot that she just couldn’t hold in anymore. 

“Is that so?” L lazily replied, his eyes not once leaving the paper he was looking at, “well, then, what is it?”

Keiko swallowed and stalled a moment, trying to pick her next words carefully. She wasn’t sure how the detective would handle the topic she was about to bring up. 

L, however, didn’t bother to wait for a response, “wait...let me guess, it’s getting rather late for you...are you going to bed? If so, then goodnight.”

“No, I’m not going to bed quite yet, Ryuzaki-san,” Keiko replied, carefully studying the detective in front of her. She was hoping he would at least glance over at her again. 

“Oh, is that so? What’s up?” L said, flipping the sheet of paper he was holding over, his attention once again not leaving said paper.

Keiko waited a few more seconds and let out a sigh once she realized that L still wouldn’t pay any real attention to her. She quickly realized that she needed to demand his attention in order to get him to hear her out. 

“Look, _L_ , what I have to say is in regards to the investigation...so I’d appreciate it if I could have just a moment of your precious attention please,” Keiko snapped, unable to hide the snark in her voice.

She waited a moment, watching as L set the paper he had been holding on the table and slowly looked over at her. 

“So she does get angry,” he mused, a half smile crossing his features for a moment as he studied her face. He then stood up and stretched before placing his hands in his pockets, “anyway, what is it? I’m sure you’re very well aware of the fact that nothing’s happened recently…”

“Exactly! Nothing’s happened, Ryuzaki-san! Nothing will continue to happen if we keep Light-kun and Misa-chan locked away in surveillance!” Keiko paused a moment to take a breath, “look, I know Light said not to let him out until we’re sure he’s innocent but it looks like that’s not possible at the moment. More criminals have been killed and are being killed and if he’s really innocent, then that means we’ve gotten nowhere in this investigation. Of course, we don’t know for sure if he’s innocent or not, sure, but if we keep him locked away then we’ll never know! We don’t even know how Kira kills yet…” 

Keiko trailed off a moment, attempting to study L’s reaction. His expression was unreadable, but at least it was clear that he wasn’t going to cut her off again any time soon. She took that as her sign to keep on going. 

Her voice was softer this time, “it’s been a little over two weeks now of the same exact thing. Ryuzaki-san, I know you might not want to let Light-kun or Misa-chan out, but if you continue to keep them under surveillance we won’t learn anything new. Something has to change. If anything, we can continue to keep an eye on them here at the hotel. I know I’m only a rookie detective and I have no right to be telling you what to do but please just consider it...and anyway, isn’t there a quote that says ‘insanity is doing the same thing over again and expecting different results’? In this case, insanity would be keeping them under surveillance. It’s already getting tiring and we’re wasting time.”

She could hear as L himself let out a small sigh, “Kagami-san, as well thought out as your points are, I’m afraid I can’t do that right now. It’s out of the question...”

_ Of course he refuses to listen to me…but I can’t let this stop me! I just can’t…if only I could get him to just consider it...  _

Keiko could feel her eyes starting to sting and she willed herself not to get too emotional as she continued on, “just what do you want, L? What is it exactly you’re trying to prove right now? That Light’s guilty? That Light Yagami is Kira? Whatever it is that you want to accomplish, we can’t accomplish it with Light under surveillance. Admittedly, I don’t know what to think about him anymore but I do know this; we can’t do much here without him, even if he  _ is  _ still a suspect in your eyes.”

“Kagami-san,” L started after a moment. His voice was level, “I understand where you’re coming from, but it’s only been two weeks since Kira started killing again-”

“A lot can happen in a span of two weeks! Let’s say that we keep Light under surveillance longer, what would that change? Criminals would continue to die and we would continue to get nowhere! We can’t waste anymore time! It’s clear to me that everyone else on the Task Force wants him out anyway. We could use his help with the investigation. And if he’s guilty, it’ll be much easier at this rate to prove with him right next to us instead of being locked away in surveillance!”

She could tell that L was about to speak once more, and judging from his expression, she already knew what he was going to say. However, there was still a lot more that she wanted to express. If he wasn’t going to listen to her properly then she had no choice but to make herself be heard. 

To say that Keiko was frustrated would be an understatement, “dammit, L! Why won’t you even  _ think _ about releasing him?! Could it perhaps be your pride? Would you see releasing Light from surveillance as losing because you’ve never been wrong about a case before? Is that also why you’ve been so mopey lately?! Because Kira killed again and we have nothing to convict Light with? Is that truly what’s most important to you right now?”

She took a short pause to collect her breath before continuing on, “look, I know the others see Light as innocent now, but if you really think he’s guilty then it’s clear we won’t be able to prove that if he’s under surveillance. And think about his father for goodness sake! You know Yagami-san won’t budge unless you release his son. Are you really going to keep torturing Light’s father, who could also be helping us investigate, just because of your own useless, stubborn pride?! What kind of person are you? Why are you being so selfish?”

Keiko carefully studied the raven haired detective as he stood, a little hunched over, right in front of her. He appeared to be rather calm, despite her rather harsh accusations. His mouth opened slightly, but then he closed it as though he had decided she wasn’t worth responding to. She wasn’t sure what she expected from him, but it wasn’t that. A mixture of both disappointment and anger coursed through her veins.

_ What kind of reaction is that?! What, is it because I’m technically just a rookie? Am I not even worthy of a response? Is he not taking me seriously right now?! _

There wasn’t much more that she could do. Keiko just shook her head, starting to turn around as she muttered, “you know what? I think I get it…what do I know compared to you, right? I’m just Keiko Kagami, my opinion doesn’t even matter. Right now, I’m a nobody…not a proper detective, not even a proper college student. I’m just wasting my time trying to-”

“I’ll consider it.”

Those three little words caused Keiko to break out of her self pity party. His voice was soft, but unmistakable. 

“H-huh?” she lamely stuttered out as she turned around, finding herself nearly face to face with the world’s greatest detective. 

The two were only a couple steps away, something that Keiko was now becoming hyper-aware of. She could feel the butterflies in her stomach starting to take flight, and she swallowed hard in a futile attempt to make them go away. Not only that, but she could feel her mind going blank as the detective stepped forward, decreasing the space between between them even more. 

“I’ll consider it, Kagami-san,” he repeated. 

_ He’s so close! _

Keiko opened her mouth to respond to him, but found that she was unable to properly produce any sound, something that she blamed entirely on L. His dark eyes were staring straight at her and she felt as though he could see straight into her soul. It was enough to slowly drive her crazy.

The detective took this as an opportunity to continue on, his voice still rather soft, “to be honest, I’m not sure what to make of the situation...therefore, I’ll consider it. I’ll consider letting them out of confinement, but if I do, they’ll still be under constant surveillance so we can carefully monitor them.” 

“T-thank you, perhaps it’ll be better that way,” Keiko managed to stutter out. She had to look away a moment, as looking into his eyes was making her go crazy, “and anyway, if they’re guilty then they can’t hide it for long. If not, then at least Light can go back to helping us with the investigation.”

“Yes,” L mused, “and Kag-no, Keiko-chan?”

_ Oh no…why’d he drop the formality all of the sudden? _

“Y-yes?” Keiko could feel her heart starting to race as he said her name. She wasn’t sure what he was going to say next, but she was sure that if he got any closer to her that she was simply going to explode. It was torturous. 

As if he could read her mind, the world’s greatest detective took a final step forward, shortening the distance between them even more. The two of them were so close that she could feel the warmth radiating off his body. Not only that, but she could also feel his breath as it tickled her cheek. He was so close to her. She was almost certain that he could hear her heart as it quickly beat in her chest. It was painfully obvious how much he was affecting her, and there was no way she could could hide it. Not with the way her cheeks were flaming. 

The conversation came to a halt. L was just silently standing there, studying her, taking her all in. Keiko was finding it rather hard to think straight, or even think at all. 

The detective slowly reached a hand out from his pocket, carefully gauging Keiko’s reaction as he brushed aside a runaway strand of her that had gotten in the way of her eyes. Keiko swore for a moment that her heart almost leapt out of her chest. 

“You’re not a nobody,” L said softly after a few seconds. His voice was so soft that, despite the fact that the two were face to face, only mere centimeters away, Keiko had to strain to hear him. It was as though he was letting her in on some sort of state secret.

“I-” Keiko started to say but then she stopped, unsure how to respond to his comment. 

He leaned in, still continuing to speak in a hushed tone that Keiko had to strain to hear, “you’ll never be a nobody. I know you’ll be a great detective someday…you already are.” 

_ Is the world’s greatest detective really giving me a compliment right now? …is this perhaps his way of showing he cares? If so, what does this mean?  _

The two of them were so close together that their noses met. Keiko jerked back a little at the sudden unexpected touch, as did L, whose eyes were slightly widened. However, she found herself wanting more. She found herself wanting to be that close to him again, and perhaps be even closer. 

Keiko instinctively leaned in, slowly working on closing the gap between them again. 

“L,” she breathed. All she wanted to do in that moment was have a little taste of him. Was she going crazy or did it look like he almost wanted her as well?

Her eyes slowly fluttered close, and she found herself leaning forward even more. Soon their noses were touching once again, but this time L didn’t pull away. Before she knew it, her lips lightly brushed up against his. Keiko felt L hesitate a little at first, his body slightly freezing up, but he still didn’t pull away from her. Taking that as a positive sign, she decided to give into temptation, fully kissing the world’s greatest detective. Moments later, she felt L give in as well, his lips pressing up against hers with a sense of urgency. 

A rush of energy coursed through Keiko’s body. It was as though a pulse of electricity had zapped her. Keiko melted into the kiss, running a hand through his disheveled hair. She felt him hesitantly wrap his arm around her waist, slowly pulling her even closer to him, causing her to feel the warmth radiating from his body. 

Part of her wondered if this was actually happening, if it wasn’t just a dream. It seemed almost too good to be true-sharing a kiss with the world’s greatest detective. She wished that the moment would last forever, but she knew full well that good moments had an expiration date. 

Sure enough, after what felt like much too soon, the detective pulled away from her, leaving a rather breathless Keiko. 

_ Did that really just happen?  _

Keiko’s eyes fluttered open. Her mind was still reeling, not to mention she also felt a little dizzy. She noticed that the detective looked a little spaced out himself, his eyes wide open with disbelief. 

“This...should have never happened…” L muttered quietly, suddenly dropping his hand from Keiko’s waist. She didn’t miss the uncertainty in his voice, though she did find herself missing the warmth she experienced when his arm was wrapped around her only moments ago. 

“Wha-wait, what do you mean?” Keiko softly questioned, still feeling more than a little dazed, to say the least. She watched as the detective took a few steps back, slightly turning away from her. She could feel her heart steadily dropping in her chest as she watched him stiffen once more, his face becoming emotionless.

“This was a mistake. I should’ve never let things get this far,” L responded, causing Keiko’s heart to drop even more. 

_ What does that even mean?! Was this yet another game of his, another test? Is the kiss the ‘mistake’ he’s referring to? On that note, did he really mean what he said beforehand? If he didn’t...then I was just fooled once again...does he think I’m a fool? _

Keiko could feel her good mood dropping rapidly. 

_ I suppose I am...I knew full well that nothing good would come of this, and yet...here I am...feeling things. I suppose I can’t deny it anymore after what just happened.  _

She pulled a sour face, “well, it’s a little late for that now, isn’t it? Are you admitting that even a great detective like yourself makes mistakes?”

L’s voice was soft once again, and barely audible, “I never claimed to be perfect, Kagami-san.”

“This is just one big game to you, isn’t it?” Keiko could feel the tears as they started to sting her eyes. She brushed them away, hoping that L couldn’t see them, though she was sure that he still could. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the detective open his mouth to speak once more, but she was no longer in the mood to listen to anything he had to say. 

“Whatever,” she huffed, turning around to walk towards the door leading to her hotel room, “forget it, it doesn’t matter. I guess I  _ am  _ going to bed.” 

 

L’s POV:

L watched as the girl stormed out of the hotel room. He could feel the tightness increasing in his chest, something that he was working hard to ignore. 

_ It’s for the best _ , he told himself,  _ she doesn’t truly hold any feelings for me anyway. I’m sure it’ll pass, especially if I do let Light out of surveillance...therefore, it doesn’t matter how I feel or how I don’t feel in regards to Keiko Kagami. It doesn’t matter whether I care for her or not...what matters most is the investigation.  _

The detective figured if he just continued to act normal around Keiko that his feelings for her would diminish, but it appeared they were going nowhere. This was something that rather frustrated him. The Kira investigation was already not going too well, and adding feelings into the mix would only complicate things further. He knew that full well. 

He had lost control earlier. It had been a momentary lapse in judgement, nothing more. It couldn’t mean anything more. He couldn’t afford that, especially considering what was at stake with the investigation. 

However, now that he had had a taste, he wanted nothing more than to feel her lips against his once more but he knew it was unrealistic. 

_ I shouldn’t have been that selfish in the first place...but...there’s just something about her. _

He squashed that thought right away. 

_ It was a mistake and I cannot let that happen again...I’ve gotten too comfortable around her, but I have a case to focus on...as always, the case comes first. I can’t afford to fall in love. _


	35. Chapter Thirty-five: Complication

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> comments are always welcome! sorry for the wait! enjoy!

 

**Day Thirty-three of Surveillance:**

Keiko’s POV:

Keiko had spent most of the night tossing and turning in her bed. Sleepless nights were nothing new to her, but it was a little different this time. It was a rather frustrating situation; her kiss with the world’s greatest detective had happened, but definitely not in any of the ways she had imagined. Sure, she had wondered what it would be like to kiss him. She had even wanted to kiss him, but not like that. Not as a joke.

At least in her head she managed to have some sort of control over the situation, more control than she did the other night. 

Keiko couldn’t believe that she had fallen for his cruel little game. 

_ It had been just a game, right? In that moment, the way he was looking at me seemed rather…no, no I can’t think like this! Not when I heard what he said afterwards. Not when he called it a mistake…but even so…I can’t stop thinking about how he looked at me beforehand, his expression. It just doesn’t make any sense. _

She sighed, flipping over the piece of paper she had been holding. In all honesty, she hadn’t really read a word the paper had said. Keiko found that she just couldn’t bring herself to fully focus. It wasn’t like there was a lot of work to be done, not when Light and Misa were still under surveillance and they had no new leads. The Kira investigation seemed to have slowed down to a halt. 

Other than the occasional sound of paper flipping over, there wasn’t a peep to be heard in the hotel room. Keiko hadn’t spoken a single word to a certain raven haired detective all morning. He didn’t seem all that affected by her cold shoulder, either, which made her even more upset. She knew that it was her own fault for letting him get to her like that, but she also couldn’t stop herself from feeling the way she did. 

The whole situation was bizarre, frustrating, and just so wildly confusing. Keiko had wanted to kiss him, yes, but she never would have imaged him kissing her back with just as much enthusiasm. She never would have imagined the way he had wrapped his arms around her waist, making her feel the warmth emitting from his body, and she certainly never would have imagined that he would call a kiss like that a mistake. He had seemed way too invested in that kiss for it to have just been all a game. 

Right? 

_ How could he do this to me? It just isn’t fair. Was it all just an act on his side or what? Was it really just a ‘mistake’? Or is that just some excuse from him? Knowing him, it’s impossible to tell. That’s probably the worst part. No...wait. The worst part is knowing that, if it was just a game, then he had me fooled. If that was just a game, then what about what he had said right before? About me being a great detective and letting Light and Misa out of surveillance? Was it all a ‘mistake’ then or was it just the kiss he was referring to? _

She knew she would go crazy unless she had an answer, even if the answer ended up hurting her. Keiko figured that, if that ended up happening, knowing would be better than not knowing. She didn’t want to stay the naive person she felt she was. It would be better for her to face the situation head on. 

Knowing this, Keiko mustered up all the courage she could, which really wasn’t a lot, but she pretended to be strong. She slowly turned around so that she was facing the raven haired detective, who had been watching the surveillance tapes in the corner of the hotel room.

“Ryuzaki-san...can I ask you an honest question?” her voice was soft but demanding enough to still be heard.

_ Or maybe like twelve honest questions, for that matter...goodness I’d need to have a whole interrogation to even start to imagine what he’s thinking. _

“That depends, Kagami-san. What would you like to know?” the detective replied, looking over in her direction.

Keiko had to bite back a smart remark. 

_ What would I like to know?! What do you think I would like to know, L? Isn’t he supposed to be a great detective? Wait a moment…is he going to pretend like what happened last night never happened? If so, don’t know if I can deal with that. Ugh, even if that’s the case I wouldn’t know unless I tried. I have no choice but to try and ask. Luckily, it’s not like I can embarrass myself anymore than I already have in front of him. That’s probably the only good part of this situation…that and knowing what it’s like to kiss him, even if it was fake. I’m probably the only person in the world who can say that they shared a kiss with the world’s greatest detective. Yet, even knowing that, I can’t really be happy. _

Keiko took a deep breath, attempting to mentally prepare herself for any sort of answer to her question, whether it was good or bad. Or, knowing the detective, whether his response was cryptic or not. 

She looked straight at the detective, looking deep into his eyes and asked, “Ryu-no...L...why did you kiss me? If it was a ‘mistake’, then why bother kissing me back the way you did? It makes no sense...”

For a split second Keiko could have sworn that she saw a flicker of emotion cross the detective’s face, but it was gone before Keiko properly decipher it. In fact, she wasn’t actually sure if it really happened or not. 

_ Am I just imagining things? _

Was she really so desperate as to hope that the detective was just holding back any feelings he possibly held for her?

Keiko didn’t want to hold hope if there wasn’t any. She didn’t want to be that kind of person anymore. That would only cause her even more unnecessary heartbreak, something which she was already painfully too familiar with. 

The detective lifted an eyebrow, “hmm…do you want to know the truth?”

“Yes,” Keiko replied, “please. I just need to know the truth, no matter what it might be…so...if kissing me was a mistake then why kiss me in the first place?”

“I see,” L replied. A ghost of a smile played up on his lips, “in that case...I kissed you because...because-”

“Because?” Keiko prompted. She wasn’t sure if the loud thumps she was hearing was her heart beating in her chest or actual noises. Either way, the sound got louder and louder, and she just wished the detective would stop wasting time and properly respond to her question. 

“Ryuzaki-san! Keiko-chan! We’re here! Did we miss anything?!” a voice boomed from the doorway of the hotel room. 

Keiko looked over to see an overly excited Matsuda, which contrasted with a rather serious looking Aizawa trailing not too far along behind him. She usually would have been happy to see Matsuda, but given the circumstances, all she wanted to do was scream in frustration at the intrusion. 

The two of them apparently didn’t sense the tension in the room, which was rather a good thing given the current circumstances. It would have been quite awkward to explain the situation. 

_ ‘Oh hello, yes, Matsuda. The detective and I kissed and he said he made a mistake! Isn’t that wonderful? I’m more confused than ever, what a shocker!’ _

Keiko couldn’t even imagine how that conversation would go, and she never, ever wanted to find out. Luckily, she was almost certain that L wouldn’t tell anyone what had happened between them. However, being interrupted was still rather annoying. 

_ Are you freaking kidding me?! Out of all times to arrive at headquarters...why on earth did the two of them have to arrive right now? Couldn’t they have waited like five more minutes? Isn’t Matsuda usually late anyways? Wait a second...that sound I heard... _ Keiko mentally slapped herself, _ it had to be their footsteps...meaning that L had to have known that they were coming. Was that why he was delaying his response so much?  _

“We’ll talk later,” she mouthed at the detective, who was looking rather smug in his seat. Keiko shot him a momentary glare.

_ He better not think he’s getting out of this…not after what he did to me…  _

“Nothing of significant importance happened, Matsuda-san,” L replied, his gaze flickering over towards the entryway of the hotel room, “of course there’s been more reports of criminals dying overnight but nothing that would reveal Kira’s true identity.”

_ Am I, perhaps, included in that ‘nothing of significance’? _ Keiko wondered bitterly as she looked over the detective,  _ but last night it seemed like I was significant to him...at least for a quick moment. The look in his eyes…the way he held me...but apparently all of that was just a mistake. Right? Ugh if only Matsuda and Aizawa had better timing…   _

L must have sensed he was being watched because he looked over at her, the look in his eyes unreadable. She quickly looked away, suddenly feeling rather awkward. How was it that he could hide his emotions so well? Keiko thought that it simply just wasn’t fair. 

“Of course not,” Keiko heard Aizawa mutter rather irritably under his breath, “we’re getting absolutely nowhere.”

_ Now that’s something I know for sure, something I can agree with…  _

The two policemen set their stuff down on the table and settled in on the couch in the hotel room. 

“We should check in on Chief Yagami,” Aizawa commented as he opened up his briefcase.

Matsuda nodded in agreement, “yeah…I wonder how he’s holding up. It certainly can’t be easy being in his position…”

Not wasting any time, L hit the intercom on the chief’s surveillance feed. 

“Yagami-san, are you alright?” the detective questioned, “as I said before, there’s no reason for you to keep doing this to yourself.”

Light’s father, who had been sitting down, looked up at the camera in the corner of his cell. His eyes were wide and he had started spouting quite the beard since being detained, “how do you think I’m doing? It’s been over two weeks now since Kira’s started killing criminals again. As far as I’m concerned, that’s all the proof I need to be sure that my son isn’t Kira. Like I said before, one way or another, when I get out of here, it will be with my son. All I’m waiting for now is for you to be sure that he isn’t Kira.”

“Wow, the chief sure is pretty stubborn,” Matsuda commented.  

“Like I said last night, you should let Light go,” Keiko muttered quietly, just loud enough for L to hear, “just look at the state of his father…are you going to continue to be selfish?”

L rather pointedly ignored Keiko’s question and turned on Light’s intercom next. “How are you feeling, Light-kun? Are you doing alright?”

Light, who had been resting on his bed opened his eyes and looked up, “I’m doing okay given the circumstances...Ryuzaki-san, I know that in the time I’ve been imprisoned that no new criminals have died, however that suggests to me that whoever Kira is, he must be familiar with my situation-”

“No, Light-kun,” L interrupted, “the reason that criminals have stopped dying is because you are Kira.”

“No! I’m not Kira, how many times must I tell you that?” Light snapped, sitting up on his bed, “I’m innocent!”

“This is just cruel, Ryuzaki-san,” Aizawa quipped, “I don’t care if Light is still a suspect, he still has a right to know that criminals are being killed again.”

“Hmm…perhaps, but not yet...” L drummed his finger on his desk. He seemed to have been done testing Light’s reaction because he went on to his next, and final victim, Misa Amane.

“Amane-san?” L questioned.

“Y-yes?” Misa replied in a rather defeated voice. It had been quite a few days now since she had even attempted to fight back. 

“Are you okay? You seem tired,” was L’s response.

_ Of course she’s tired. She’s been tied up and interrogated daily for the past while! She’s been under surveillance even longer than Light has! _

“Is that supposed to be funny?” Misa started, “how do you expect me to be after all this? Please just let me go! I want to see my Light-kun! Hell, at this point I even wouldn’t mind seeing his girlfriend, Keiko-chan, despite how annoying she is!”

“M-me?” Keiko couldn’t stop herself from sputtering out, “wait, how am I annoying?!”

_ And someone clearly didn’t get the memo that I broke up with Light! She’s the reason I had to break up with him, too...the audacity!  _

Keiko could have sworn she saw the detective’s lip curl upwards after her little outburst which caused her to glare at him momentarily for a second time. 

_ I’ll be getting to you later…  _

“I’m not sure how much more of this the three of them can take,” Aizawa muttered, anger blazing in his eyes, “Ryuzaki-san, you have no reason to keep Light Yagami locked up anymore. Do the right thing and let him go! Then we can finally let the chief out too! It’s a better option than wasting time like we’re doing right now!”

“See,” Keiko mouthed at L before she spoke up herself, “I agree, Aizawa-san. I’m glad I’m not the only one who thinks it’s the best thing to do.”

“Kagami-san,” L started, looking over at her, “I do recall that the other night I told you I’d consider it, however-”

“What’s there to consider?!” Aizawa interrupted, “criminals are still being killed even though neither Light or Misa had access to any sort of information. We know that much already, so what are you waiting for?!”

“Yeah, Ryuzaki-san…what are you waiting for?” Keiko stared at the world’s great detective. Her heart started thumping a little in her chest. She felt as though she was directly challenging him, and in a way, she was, “did you perhaps not really mean what you said last night?”

L stared back at Keiko, his dark eyes matching hers. He didn’t miss a single beat, as he said, “I meant every word I said.”

_ Does he really mean that? Then he really thinks I’ll be a great detective? Does he really think that highly of me? He certainly doesn’t show it...and that kiss... _

“Then why the waiting?” Matsuda piped up from the couch. Keiko doubted he could sense the tension between herself and the detective, something she was glad for. “If you said you’d consider the idea of letting them go, and it appears that it’d be the best thing to do, then why not do it now?”

_ Matsuda, _ Keiko thought to herself, _ who in the world says you aren’t smart? You might have terrible timing but at least you know when to back a friend up. _

“Ryuzaki-san,” Aizawa started, “I’m sorry, but with all due respect, from where I’m standing it’s starting to look like you’re only doing this because you don’t want to admit that you were wrong about Light.”

“Yes, I figured you’d say that,” L murmured, his thumb now resting near his mouth in a thoughtful position.

“Fine! But we do know that Kira killed Lind L. Tailor and those FBI agents, right?! As Light said, if Kira could kill while under surveillance and without access to information, there would have been no need! If they didn’t pose a threat to him then why bother killing them? Kira doesn’t kill without good reason, you’ve even said so yourself…it’s been thirty three days already! There’s no point to doing this anymore! We’re just wasting time, Ryuzaki-san! It’s time to stop playing around and start looking for the real Kira!”

Keiko watched as L paused a moment, taking in what Aizawa said. He looked over at Aizawa first, then looked over at her. 

“Please,” Keiko whispered quietly. Her eyes dropped to the floor, but she could still feel his intense gaze, “if you really meant what you said last night, then you’ll do this for me.”

Silence filled the room. Keiko closed her eyes, preparing herself for the answer she knew was coming. There was no way he actually thought that highly of her and her detective skills, and knowing his stubborn pride, there would be no way he’d let Light and Misa out of surveillance that easily.

“Alright,” the detective finally said after a moment. 

_ See. I knew it-wait a second...did I hear him correctly? _ Keiko opened her eyes and peeked at him,  _ is he being serious right now? Does this mean… _

“I understand…I’ll let Light go, but first, there are some things that are have to discuss.” 

_ Does this mean he really was being serious the other night? However, the only downside is that means...the kiss really was a mistake in his eyes... _

 

_ /timeskip/  _

 

L hit the intercom once more, “Yagami-san.”

Keiko watched as Light’s father looked up, “yes, what is it?”

“Would you be willing to come to headquarters just once? I’d like to discuss my thoughts with you about the investigation, but it must be done in person. However, above all else, I need to talk to you as Light’s father…”

“Alright…” the chief replied, clearly defeated, “I’ll come.”

“Excellent,” L replied, “I’ll be awaiting your arrival.”

 

_ /timeskip/ _

 

“You know,” Keiko started later on that night. The rest of the Task Force, Light’s father included, had just left for the day. This left Keiko and the world’s greatest detective all alone in the hotel room once more, “I never received an answer to my question earlier, Ryuzaki-san.”

_ Don’t even think you’re getting out of this now...there’s no chance of Matsuda interrupting us now...I even made sure he didn’t forget his watch on his way out. _

“I suppose you’re right,” she heard L reply after a moment, “would you still like to know, Keiko-chan?”

“You’re the detective,” Keiko stated, raising an eyebrow. She looked over at the detective, who was sitting down, hunched over some papers, “what do you think? Of course I still want to know. I feel like you at least owe me an explanation.”

She watched as L got up from his seat and slowly walked over to where she was sitting on the couch. 

“You want to know my honest answer?”

“Isn’t that why I’m asking?” Keiko snapped. She realized just how bitter she was and sighed, “no more games, L. I can’t take any more of that. In fact, I’m sick and tired of all that.”

“Hmmm...fair enough,” L replied, taking a seat next to Keiko on the couch. She was, once again, aware of his rather close proximity to her. If she leaned forward a little bit, the two would be within touching distance again, something which she fought hard to ignore.

_ He’s making a fool out of me once again... _

“So, are you going to answer?” Keiko questioned, “or are you going to leave me in suspense on purpose again?”

She could have sworn that she saw a tug on the detective’s lips. However, that was gone after a quick moment. L leaned in a little, so that the two were face to face. His dark eyes never left hers as he replied, “I kissed you back...because...I wanted to kiss you, Keiko-chan.”

_ Because...he...wanted to? Does he mean that he wanted to kiss me because he cares about me or was it still all just one big game? But wait...if he wanted to kiss me, then how could he say it was a mistake?! _

“And...that was a ‘mistake’?” Keiko’s eyebrows furrowed.

“Yes,” the detective replied simply.

_ How does that make any sense?!  _

“Why? Why was kissing me a mistake then?” Keiko couldn’t stop the frustration from seeping into her voice. She scooted away from him a little bit on the couch, feeling rather hurt, “did you mean you took your little game of playing with my feelings a little too far?!”

“I think you’re misunderstanding the situation,” L replied, his voice level. 

“Oh, am I? Am I really?” Keiko scoffed, “well, to be fair, it’s sort of easy to misunderstand when I don’t get anything you do! First you said I was a great detective, then you kiss me, and then call it a ‘mistake’...if you don’t think I’m a good detective, then don’t compliment me. If you think I am, then compliment me. If you don’t like me, then don’t kiss me! If you like me, then kiss me! That’s what any logical person would do!”

“I see,” L murmured, resting his thumb on his lip, “my, my, my, Kagami-san, you make it sound so easy.”

“It is! It’s really rather simple, or at least, it should be! It’s only complicated if you make it complicated.”

“I see,” L replied once more. He looked over at her again, “am I making things complicated then?”

“Is that a serious question right now?” Keiko sighed.

“Hmm,” the detective started, “then let me try to make things simple. I meant every word I said last night. I complimented you because I meant it, and I did think that kissing you was a mistake…”

_ Why kiss me then if it’s just a mistake?! You said you wanted to, but then you say it’s a mistake and you tell me you’re telling the truth! How is it I’m still only getting more questions than answers?! _

“Did you perhaps think I had feelings for you, Kagami-san?” the detective questioned, making Keiko suddenly freeze.

“I don’t know what I thought,” she admitted after a moment, “but...when you kissed me I thought that...maybe...you cared about me. And honestly, in that moment, I truly wished you did.”

_ And maybe a part of me still wishes you did…because I think I care about you…because I think I seriously...like you. _

“I see.”

Keiko could feel her heart drop, “is that all you’re going to say?”

“Yes,” L replied. He stood up. Keiko looked up, trying to see his reaction, but he turned away from her, “I’ve given you my explanation...however, I think it’d be best if you forgot what happened last night, Kagami-san. I’m sorry if I made things complicated for you.”

  
  
  



	36. Chapter Thirty-six: Rebound

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, happy new year! I hope 2019 is kind to you all! I just wanted to say that I am very thankful to all of my readers. I'm really happy that my work has been well received. So thanks again to all of you.  I am also happy to announce that the one year anniversary of this fanfiction will be on January 7th. So that's cool, I can't believe it's almost been a year already. I would've waited to post this until then but I decided against it, since it's already been a bit since I last updated. That and I'm not sure I would've had the time, seeing as the 7th is when my spring semester starts at school. Anyway, Who Said Death Was Easy will be a year old soon! 
> 
> On another note, as you all know, I follow the plotline pretty well but, hint, don't be too surprised if I veer off later on ;) I have some...exciting things in store...that's all I will say about that for now. Anyways, thank you guys again for sticking with this fanfic, and I hope you guys enjoy! As always, comments are highly appreciated and make my day. :) 
> 
> ~Stepho

 

Keiko’s POV:

“Honestly, all this time, I never pictured my stalker as being an old man,” Misa announced rather loudly as she rested her head on the back of the carseat. 

“I’m not your stalker, I’m a chief detective with the NPA,” Light’s father said matter-of-factly, and Keiko could hear the slight irritation in his voice from Misa’s accusation. 

“What, you’re a detective?!” Misa was saying, “hey wait...I remember now! They arrested me and told me I was under suspicion for being the Second Kira. You mean, that was for real?! No way...there’s no way the police would cover my eyes and bind me up all fetishy like that...gross...”

“I can assure you I’m telling the truth, now please, just keep quiet,” the chief replied, stopping the car in a dimly lit parking garage. He was there to pick up his son, who was being held by Aizawa, Mogi, and Matsuda.

“Are you sure this was the best idea, Ryuzaki-san?” Keiko muttered, cringing a little as the scene continued playing out on the screen before her, “I mean, did you _ really _ have to insist on doing this?”

“Light-kun?!” Misa squealed and Keiko sighed. She was still cringing, although this time it was internal. 

_ I see she’s back to being her annoying self...and she called me annoying?! As if...okay, even if I am, I can’t be as bad as her.  _

“Given the circumstances, this was the best that we could do. It’s not like I was given a lot of time to work...and if I remember correctly,  _ someone _ here was getting rather impatient about letting Light and Misa out from surveillance,” L replied tartily before popping a strawberry in his mouth. 

“I missed you so much!” Misa continued on gushing, and Keiko was sure that the only thing keeping Misa’s hands away from Light was the handcuffs on her wrists. Keiko wasn’t sure how to feel. It was a little weird, seeing someone being so friendly with her ex-boyfriend. It was even weirder when she remembered that Misa still thought that Keiko and Light were still together. 

_ Does this girl have no shame? _

“It’s not like I imagined you would go to such great lengths…” Keiko sighed, “I asked you to let them out from their cells, not put them through even more mental torture...this plan is...absurd. If Light is Kira and sees through this plan, it’s not like he’d do anything and risk getting caught. He’s too smart for that. I know you’re counting on Misa slipping up, but even so…this just seems…crazy.”

“Yes, I’m aware of that,” L responded. 

_ As always, I’d love to know what goes on in that head of his...  _

“I was starting to think that I would never get out of there,” Light was saying on the screen, “but it feels good to finally be cleared.”

“Oh, no, I’m afraid I am taking you to your execution,” the chief replied, earning him two gasps from the back seat, “I wanted to be the one to escort you to the execution site. It was secretly built in an underground facility not far from here…”

“Execution, what the hell are you talking about?!” Light demanded from the backseat.

“L is convinced that you are Kira, Light. And he’s convinced that Misa Amane is your accomplice and the Second Kira. He is convinced that the only way to prevent the murders is to execute the both of you.”

“I-I don’t understand, the killings have already stopped,” Light stuttered out, his eyes wide. He looked entirely innocent to Keiko, and perhaps he actually was. 

_ Even if he isn’t Kira, he still probably cheated on you,  _ Keiko reminded herself.  _ You don’t need to do this to yourself all over again. _

“No, they never stopped,” the chief informed his son.

“They never…” Light started, “that’s not what...wait...so he was lying to me?!”

“Oh, wow, a guy lied to you. How original,” Keiko muttered bitterly, watching as her ex-boyfriend stared wide-eyed at his father, “just like you lied to me about Misa…”

“L was trying to get a confession out of you. He would have said anything, however, at this point, that’s not the problem. It’s all political now,” Light’s father was saying. Keiko tuned out his little speech and focused on her ex-boyfriend, Light Yagami.

Sure, she was the one who told, no _ begged _ L to let him go. However, was she really emotionally prepared to see him again? Was she really ready to see Misa again as well? L had said that, even though the two wouldn’t be held in cells any longer, that the two of them would still be under constant surveillance. Meaning that the two of them would now be staying at headquarters together. 

Somehow the thought of having to live with both her ex-boyfriend and the girl he cheated on her with didn’t seem all that appealing, even if it was all to solve a case. On top of that, Keiko wasn’t ready to see Misa all over her ex-boyfriend, even if she had somewhat moved on. 

Add in her kiss with the world’s greatest detective and things _ really _ weren’t looking too good. Sure, L told her to forget what had happened between them but Keiko already knew that it wasn’t going to happen. She was still thoroughly confused by everything that had happened between in the last couple of days. How could he compliment her like that and then tell her kissing her was a mistake? How could he act like he cared about her then suddenly change his story only a few seconds later? 

Needless to say, Keiko wasn’t all that excited for the things to come. 

_ ‘I meant every word I said’...how could he really say that to me? It still doesn’t make any sense, no matter how I look at it. He either cares or he doesn’t. He acts like he doesn’t care all the time, then he says that and kisses me? It was a ‘mistake’, huh? Was it a mistake? Or was he seriously kissing me because he wanted to? _

“You really should be paying attention, Kagami-san,” the sound of L’s voice broke Keiko’s train of thought, “it’s getting to the good part now.”

“You mean it’s getting to the worst part of the mental torture,” Keiko corrected, rolling her eyes a moment at the detective, “you know, I might not like Misa or Light very much right now, but even I feel a little sorry to them for what’s about to come.”

“It’s necessary, given the current situation, I’m afraid.”

“Where are we right now?!” Light demanded on the screen. The panic in his voice was rising, “why did you bring us out to the middle of nowhere?!”

“It looks like nobody’s around to see us out here!” Light’s father announced, “I figured that it would be better for us if I brought you two here instead of the execution site...Light, listen to me carefully. I am going to kill you here, and then kill myself!”

Keiko watched as both Light and Misa went into full on panic mode. “What, what are you talking about, dad?! That’s insane!”

“Don’t you even say that!” Misa added, “you’d really kill your only son for L? No way! If you want to die to badly, why don’t you only just kill yourself? If you kill us, you’re really no different than Kira!”

“I am nothing like Kira!” the chief’s voice boomed as he took out his gun and started to point it at Light. “I am bound by my responsibilities as a parent and as the chief of the NPA!”

“Dad, come on, she’s right! Think about it, if we die here, then the truth will never be revealed! Please, dad, you have to let us escape!” Light was yelling now.

“It’s too late for that, unfortunately...either way, you will be executed, son. At least with this, I will be the one to do it,” the chief said, “now Amane-san, I am going to die here with my son, but I have no reason to kill you. It’s only a matter of time before the police locate this car. When that happens, they will transport you to the original site where you will be executed.”

“Light, my son, from one murderer to another...I’ll see you in hell,” the chief’s voice boomed. His gun was now properly aimed, and despite the pleas of both his son and Misa Amane, he fired without hesitation

Although Keiko knew it was only an act, and that the chief had a blank the whole time, she flinched at the sound of the gun. Like she had suspected earlier, all three people in the car were still alive. 

“Oh thank god,” she heard Light’s father exhale. 

_ Oh thank god is right... _

“Thank god? What’s going on, dad? I don’t understand,” Light responded, the question written all over his face.

“Please forgive me you two,” the chief started, “I know that was hard on you but it was the only way I could get you two out of your confinement. You must understand, I only agreed to do this because I believe you’re innocent, Light.”

“That’s so crazy,” Misa mumbled.

“Were you watching, Ryuzaki-san?” Light’s father asked, looking directly into the camera, “I did exactly as you said, and as you can see, I’m still alive.”

Keiko looked over at the detective, who had narrowed eyes, “yes, yes, it was a convincing performance. If Amane-san were the Second Kira, who only needs a persons face to kill them, then I have no doubt she would have killed you before you had a chance to fire your weapon. Also, if Light was Kira, I am certain he wouldn’t even hesitate to kill his own father to save himself. With Light in particular I cannot rule out the possibility that he might have seen through our little act at some point...as agreed, I will end their confinement immediately. However, as discussed, they will both remain under surveillance until Kira is apprehended. And, Amane-san, although you insist the tapes we found are just occult videos, the physical evidence remains.”

“Hey!” Misa cried, “you still suspect me? That’s not fair!”

“If I were you, I wouldn’t complain,” the chief grumbled, “you get to go back to your normal life. The surveillance shouldn’t even be a threat to you if you’re innocent, just think of it as police protection.”

“Oh, and Light-kun?” L started, “you and I will be together twenty-four seven from now on. I think it’s best we remain that way until we have brought Kira to justice. Anyway, I will see the three of you at headquarters shortly.”

_ Be together...twenty-four seven? What does he even mean? _ Keiko wondered.  _ Whatever he means, it doesn’t sound good. It certainly means he still suspects Light. I mean, of course he still isn’t fully in the clear, but twenty-four seven sounds a bit extreme… _

“That sounds good, Ryuzaki-san!” Light called out, “I look forward to working with you again.”

 

_ /timeskip/ _

 

It didn’t take too long for the three of them and the rest of the Task Force to arrive at headquarters. Keiko had to admit, she was feeling pretty apprehensive about the whole situation, but she knew that, in order to move forward in the case, things would have to be rather uncomfortable for a while. 

“Ehhh? What’s she doing here?” Misa questioned as soon as she walked in the hotel room. She pointed a bony finger over at Keiko. 

_ Oh great...this is where it starts _ , Keiko thought, mentally rolling her eyes.  

“Kagami-san happens to be a valuable member of the investigation team,” L informed Misa, looking the girl over, “she’s here to help us out with the Kira case.”

_ A valuable member, eh? Is that another compliment from him?  _

“Oh great...and here I was hoping I could spend time with Light here without having his girlfriend around,” Misa grumbled. She probably had meant for it to be quiet, but her statement was rather loud, and earned her a glare from Keiko.

“Ex-girlfriend,” Keiko clarified quickly, which caused Misa’s head to snap upwards. 

“Ex-girlfriend, what do you mean?” Misa quickly brightened up, grabbing one of Keiko’s hands and pulling her closer towards her. Keiko couldn’t stop herself from groaning as the girl rather roughly pulled on her, it was as though she was attempting to physically get information from her.

Keiko could feel the stares from the other members of the Task Force. She hated the intense scrutiny her situation was getting, especially since she and Light had been broken up for a little while now. It was also quite awkward because Misa was the reason she had broken up with him in the first place, and Keiko wasn’t the kind of person to say that to a person outright. She didn’t want to make the energy in the room any more tense than it already was.

“Yeah, I, uh,” she fished for the right words. “I broke up with him, Misa-chan…”

Misa was about to continue her interrogation when Aizawa’s voice cut through, “alright. Enough of the mindless chatter. We’re here to work on a serious investigation, not gossip!”

Taking her chance, Keiko slipped out of Misa’s death grip. 

“Exactly,” Light’s father added. He looked between his son, Misa, and Keiko, “whatever drama there is between you needs to be set aside for the sake of the investigation.”

“I understand,” Light replied, “I promise I’ll do my best for the sake of the investigation. I’m here because I want to help Ryuzaki-san catch Kira…”

“It’s good to have you back,” Matsuda cut in, “I missed having you around, Light-kun!”

“Ah, thank you, I missed you guys, too,” Light rubbed his neck, laughing a little as he turned to look at Keiko, “and I really missed you, Keiko-chan.”

This earned a squeal of despair from Misa, “oh come on! That’s not even fair! I thought you said you two broke up, Keiko-chan! Why does he miss you?!”

“Light-kun,” Keiko started. She ignored Misa, focusing on attempting to respond to her ex-boyfriend,  “I...I…”

_ It’s not like I can talk openly to him here with everyone else around! _

Light seemed to understand what Keiko was thinking, so he looked over at L, “Ryuzaki-san, I understand that I’m not entirely clear of suspicion yet, and I’m here to help with the investigation, but would it be rude of me to ask for a moment alone with Kagami-san? With her permission, of course...there are a couple things I wish to talk to her about, and I don’t know if I can work smoothly here with her until I get these topics off my chest…”

“I understand,” L started, “I figured you would say something like that. I’m sure you two have some things you wish to sort out, so it’s fine with me as long as Kagami-san consents.”

“It’s fine with me,” Keiko murmured.

_ I don’t know if I feel fine...but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t curious about what it might be that Light has to say to me…and after his confinement, I feel like I at least owe him this. It’s not like I really let him talk to me much beforehand... _

“Thanks, Keiko-chan,” Light replied, flashing an awkward smile in her direction. It was just enough to make Keiko’s chest start to ache.

“It’s not fine with me!” Misa grumbled, and she attempted to reach out, but Aizawa grabbed her arm, “it’s between the two of them, not you. Goodness, what is this? Why am I the one stuck playing crowd control?”

Keiko winced,  _ sorry, Aizawa-san... _

“You two can talk, but please, don’t make it too long. Remember, there’s still work to be done, Light-kun. And Kagami-san, if you would,” L nodded his head at Keiko, motioning for her to open to hand. 

Keiko opened her palm, flashing a curious look in the detective’s direction. He dropped a small, black item with a red button in it. 

“It’s a beeper,” L clarified. “Just a precaution, in case something happens. If you press it, one of us will be on the way in no time.”

“I, er, thanks, I guess,” Keiko mustered, feeling her cheeks start to flush.

_ What does he think is going to happen to me? Does he think that Light is Kira and that he’s trying to get rid of me or something? Leave it to L to think of literally everything… _

With that, the two of them set off into the hallway outside of the hotel room.

“Where should we go?” Keiko asked. Sure, she had her own hotel room next door but she wasn’t about to invite her ex-boyfriend inside of it. That would just be asking for some trouble, and she didn’t want to have to deal with Misa’s wrath later on.

“How about the roof? We’re almost on the top floor anyways, it’s only a couple flights up,” Light suggested, “besides, it should be empty up there.”

“S-sure,” Keiko let her ex-boyfriend lead the way. The two walked up the stairs in silence. Keiko could feel her apprehension slowly growing with each and every step. It wasn’t because of Light per say, but rather because she wasn’t sure what to expect from him. 

_ He’s not going to tell me he wants to be with Misa now, right? It doesn’t seem like something he’d do, not with the investigation, but then again...it’s not like I expected he would be the type to cheat on me either... _

Luckily she wasn’t left alone with her thoughts for too long because soon enough, the two of them reached the roof the hotel. The sun was just starting to set, causing the sky to be a beautiful array of colors. 

“It’s nice up here,” Light said after a moment of staring at the sky, “I forgot how nice it was outside.”

“Y-yeah,” Keiko stuttered out, feeling the awkwardness creeping in even more.

_ What else is there to say? ‘Sorry that you couldn’t go outside the past month because you decided to put yourself under surveillance’?  _

“It’s nice to see you again,” the sound of Light’s voice once more broke Keiko away from her thoughts. He took a step in Keiko’s direction so that the two of them were now face to face, flashing her a small smile. 

_ It’s not like I can say ‘it’s nice to see you again’ back to him...it feels too awkward with these circumstances... _

Keiko could feel her heart beginning to pound, and she fished for something to say in response. However, she came up blank.

“Don’t force yourself,” Light laughed. It was yet another awkward laugh, but he seemed more comfortable than he did back in the hotel room. 

“I’m sor-” Keiko started to say, but Light cut her off.

“If anything, I should be the one apologizing, Keiko-chan…” Light started, “you have nothing to be sorry for. I know you watched me when I was under surveillance, but you were only doing what you had to do. So I hope you don’t feel awkward because of that...I just wanted to tell you that I’m so sorry...for everything that happened before I went under surveillance…I’m especially sorry that you had to deal with Misa Amane…”

At the mention of Misa’s name, Keiko could feel herself stiffen a little, something that Light didn’t miss. 

_ Misa Amane, otherwise known as the cause of a lot of the pain I’ve suffered these past couple months... _

He let out a soft sigh, “look, please hear me out..I have a lot to say regarding Misa-chan…I know that the evidence isn’t in my favor, and I know you believe that I cheated on you...in fact, you have every reason to believe that. Misa did kiss me, that is true, and I’m sorry that you had to see that. It’s also true that I neglected to tell you about it. However, the only reason I didn’t tell you was because I didn’t want you to worry about her. I didn’t want to hurt you...the truth is, Misa came over to my house quite a few times.”

_ Quite a few times? Great... _

“She wanted me to break up with you because she was in love with me. I refused, and I told her the only way she could spend time with me, if she liked me that badly, was to be friends with you…it was the only thing I could think of because she refused to leave me alone and I didn’t want to stop seeing you because of her. To be quite frank, Misa annoyed me. A lot.”

_ Well...I’m glad to know it’s not just me who finds her annoying...that is, if he’s really telling me the truth...but, it looks like is...possibly. _

Light took a breath to collect his thoughts before continuing on, “it was stupid of me to encourage her to try and befriend you. I knew that she only wanted me, and that she hoped she could get me to break up with you. I just hoped that, if she became friends with you, she could stop disliking you and see how happy the two of us are together. I hoped that, if she saw that, then she would finally leave the two of us alone...however, that day...she knew you were supposed to be out of town, so she quite literally came out of nowhere and tried to kiss me...which was what you saw…and well...all hell broke loose after that.”

He paused, looking at her in desperation, “again, I’m sorry, Keiko-chan. I just thought that you should know the truth, the full truth. I never intentionally cheated on you. I didn’t  _ want _ her to kiss me.”

Keiko carefully studied her ex-boyfriend, searching his brown eyes for any sort of sign he was lying...however, there was none. From what she could tell, he was, in fact, telling the truth. 

_ Either that, or he’s a damn good liar...but...for some reason, I believe him...it seems he really meant it when he said he didn’t cheat on me. If that’s the case, then that means I suffered all of that heartbreak and broke up with him for no reason… _

Keiko bit her lip, thinking back to that fateful day. She had spent hours crying over Light only to find out that he hadn’t really cheated on her. 

_ Was all my suffering really all for nothing?! Am I really the biggest fool of all? No wait...I can’t think like this. Either way, I got hurt...and I shouldn’t just blindly trust him again. Not after all that. He really messed me up... _

Light must have sensed where Keiko’s thoughts were going because he continued on, “look. I know I have no right to ask this, but...after hearing the honest truth...do you think you could find it in your heart to forgive me? And…well I know this is very bold of me, Keiko-chan...but, I can’t hold this in any longer. To be blunt, I still care about you. A lot. And I know I’m being selfish right now but-”

“Stop,” Keiko suddenly interrupted. She took a deep breath, “please, Light-kun. Stop for a moment.”

Reliving all of the painful memories she had spent the last month forgetting had caused Keiko’s heart to ache. She swallowed hard. It was like Light was slowly peeling back the band aid she had just finished putting on. No, scratch that, he wasn’t slowly pulling it off, he was ripping it off in one swift motion.

Keiko had attempted to condition herself to think of Light only as a suspect in the Kira investigation. She had tried not to think about him, _ really _ think about him for days now. Now here he was, pulling at her heartstrings, making her feel things once again. She wasn’t sure how to label what she was feeling, but she knew, whatever it was, it was a lot. 

“Keiko-chan,” Light whispered softly, taking another step forward, “I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry...about everything.”

“Why are you telling me all of this now? Why?” Keiko murmured, looking up at her ex-boyfriend. The two were now within touching distance, all she had to do was reach forward. A part of her was tempted too, but she somehow stood her ground.

“Because...I care about you, Keiko-chan. I had to let you know that. I couldn’t have come back to working with you on the Task Force without telling you all this first. I couldn’t have you thinking that you meant nothing to me this whole time,” Light responded, his brown eyes were round with concern.

_ Do I even dare believe him?...but those eyes of his, those stupid eyes of his...they make me want to believe him...that, and he always did have a way with words...ugh..no, why am I even doing this?! What is wrong with me? I can’t allow myself to get hurt again! I just...I can’t. Keiko, stand your ground... _

“Light Yagami…” Keiko exhaled, emotions swirling around inside her, “you might not have meant to but you hurt me...no...you  _ broke  _ me. I don’t know...I just…it’s just...”

“I know,” Light took a half step forward, “I can only imagine how you must be feeling right now...that’s why I’m so sorry…I messed up everything.”

“You-” Keiko’s voice broke. She could feel the tears threatening to fall, which she fought hard to ignore “why-you-I-”

_ Dammit...why is he still able to do this to me? I don’t want to cry for him anymore...I don’t want to be a stuttering mess, and yet... _

Light reached forward, interrupting her thoughts, and enveloped her in a rather tight hug. All she was able to feel was his warmth, it was taunting her, trying to invite her in once more. 

“Why are you doing this to me?” Keiko was finally able to choke out, her head resting on Light’s chest in defeat. She was far too exhausted, both physically and emotionally, to fight back.

“Because,” Light repositioned the two of them so that he was looking down at her, “because...well...I never had the chance to say this before...but…”

“But…?” Keiko echoed quietly, peering up at him. 

“I think I love you...no, let me rephrase that...I think I’m in love with you, Keiko Kagami. I just didn’t realize it until I was locked away in surveillance...”

Keiko could feel her heart exploding at his words. She felt her throat go dry, and she found herself speechless.

_ L-love?! He loves me...no...he’s in love with me?! Did I hear him correctly?! _

Before Keiko had a chance to properly process what was going on, Light leaned forward and closed the space between them. His eyes closed and he pressed his lips against hers. Keiko instinctively kissed back for a moment before she thought the better of it.

_ Wait a second…  _

Deep down, Keiko knew that she should have been happy. Her ex-boyfriend, the guy she had fallen deeply for, both just apologized and confessed his love to her...and yet...

_ Wrong. Wrong. Wrong! This all feels so wrong.  _

Keiko had been waiting for months for Light to make this confession, sweep her off her feet, and kiss her, but something about this just made Keiko feel off. 

_ I can’t deal with this right now, it’s just all too much! I need to get out of here! _

It took almost all of her willpower, but she finally was able to push herself away from him. She could see the hurt and the confusion in his eyes, and she winced.

“I-I’m sorry, Light-kun…I...I just can’t do this right now...I need time to...process...” Keiko managed to say, staring at the cemented ground of the roof. She couldn’t bear to look up and look into those sad eyes. There was no way she could risk falling for him again. Keiko just couldn’t do it, not when she was starting to think of someone else in the back of her mind. Someone she felt she was betraying by kissing her ex-boyfriend.

Despite what L had told her, Keiko found that she couldn’t forget what had happened between them. 

That and she wasn’t sure if she could ever fully trust Light Yagami again. 

 

L’s POV:

L peered over the corner from his hiding spot on the deck of the roof. He knew he could have just sent Matsuda or Aizawa to report back to him, but there was something he wanted to confirm for himself with his own eyes. 

When he saw Light lean forward and envelope Keiko in a tight hug, he knew his hunch from before had been right.

_ It’s just as I suspected...the first thing Light does after ending his surveillance is try and win Keiko back…I’m certain that he feels he needs to have her on his side as an ally, to keep him safe from me convicting him as Kira.  _

He ignored the involuntary ache starting to form in his chest when he noticed that Keiko wasn’t doing anything to fight back. L had hoped that she would have at least made him apologize a few more times if she was seriously going to take him back, but he also knew how strong her feelings for Light Yagami were in the past. 

If his deductions were right, there was a good chance she would take him back eventually when the two went back to working on the case together. He was also fairly certain that, whatever feelings that she developed for himself were only temporary, which for some reason rather bothered him.

“I think I love you...no, let me rephrase that...I think I’m in love with you, Keiko Kagami. I just didn’t realize it until I was locked away in surveillance...” he heard Light confess to her. L then watched as Light, without any warning, leaned forward, passionately kissing Keiko. While he had expected Keiko to kiss back, seeing the event as it unfolded before him made feel something he had never quite felt before. If his chest had been hurting before, it was on fire now.

_ I’ve...I’ve seen more than enough... _

He turned around, and was about to quietly exit the roof when he heard an unmistakable voice. Keiko’s voice, to be exact. A voice that he could now recognize anywhere. 

The detective quickly turned back around, he was more than curious to see the new development. 

“I-I’m sorry, Light-kun…I...I just can’t do this right now...I need time to...process...” he heard Keiko choked out, not even looking at Light in the eyes.

_ Process...hmm? Perhaps…does this mean her feelings for him are not as strong as I thought they were?  _

L wasn’t quite sure what to make of her reaction. While he wanted to find out what her true feelings were, and whether or not she would really take her ex-boyfriend back, he had to be careful not to let his emotions get the best of him again. However, despite how much he fought it, he kept on wondering if some part of Keiko truly _ liked _ him. That he wasn’t just a rebound while she attempted to get over her feelings for Light Yagami. He somehow liked the thought of that.

_ If so, it’d be the first time someone’s ever truly had a crush on me... _

  
  
  
  
  
  



	37. Chapter Thirty-seven: Tension

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy! Comments are always welcome :D Also, I can't believe it's been over a year now since I've started this! lol!

 

 

Keiko’s POV:

“Are you sure this is really necessary, Ryuzaki-san?” Light questioned, bewilderment in his voice.

Keiko honestly couldn’t blame him. Her gaze flitted towards the chains linking her ex-boyfriend and the world’s greatest detective together. She wondered the same exact thing. What in the world was L thinking? He couldn’t be serious, could he? Surely he was just playing a practical joke. However, somehow it didn’t seem like he was joking, which put Keiko on edge. 

“Trust me, this is as difficult me as it is for you,” L replied dryly. 

_ So...he is being serious...great...how in the world does he come up with this stuff?! Was there really no other solution that he could come up with?! This means I’ll be stuck watching my ex-boyfriend and my...crush? being chained up together all the time! This can’t lead to anything good... _

Misa also looked less than thrilled at the current situation, “is this what you meant by being together twenty-four seven with him?!” 

“I told you, I’m not doing this because I want to,” L murmured, studying the handcuffs. He was also clearly uncomfortable with the situation, but Keiko now knew from experience that there would be no easy way to change his mind. 

_ He really thinks this is the best way to keep watch over Light...well, I suppose it is, but at what cost? Does he suspect him that much that he’s willing to go this far? _

“That’s not fair! I’ve already had to share Light for so long! Now he’s finally single and I don’t want to share him with you! You’re ruining things!” Misa cried out, despair in her voice, “I never even got to go on a date with him yet!” 

Keiko gave an awkward little cough at Misa’s words. 

_ How could Misa accuse L of ruining things when she ruined things for Light and I?! If Light was being truthful with me on the roof, then if she had never meddled in, Light and I would probably still be together now.  _ Keiko bit her lip,  _ however, perhaps it’s a good thing we aren’t together anymore, especially given everything that’s happened recently…  _

“Oh, you two can still go on dates if you wish, but it will have to be all three of us,” L replied matter-of-factly, breaking through Keiko’s thoughts.

“No way!” Misa crossed her arms, “are you telling me we’ll have to  _ kiss _ in front of you and stuff?!”

L raised an eyebrow, “I’m not telling you to do anything, but I suppose that would be the situation in that case, yes.”

At the word kiss, Keiko let out an involuntary flinch as she thought back to the moment that ruined her relationship with Light. She could feel Light’s gaze shift towards her and she made a conscious effort not to accidentally catch her ex-boyfriend’s eye. Only a couple hours had passed since the little moment she had shared with him on the roof. 

Not to mention, there was also the kiss she had shared with the world’s greatest detective only a few days ago flitting through her mind. That was definitely something to keep quiet about. She was sure, given his confession, if Light found out about the situation, he would be rather upset. Needless to say, it would not end well. That is, if Light was really telling her the truth and not just lying to her again.

“That’s messed up!” Misa cried out, “why would you even want to see that?!

_ If Light was serious with his confession, then it means that Misa has no chance with Light...which she seems to casually disregard...either that, or she’s unaware of it...from what I know about her, it’s probably the latter.  _

“Don’t worry, Misa-chan, I can assure you that there will be no kissing between us,” Keiko heard Light respond, much to Misa’s dismay, “you might not want to hear this right now, but I still have strong feelings for Kagami-san...besides, the police have already established that it was you who sent those tapes before, so you’re lucky to even be here right now. They have every right to keep you imprisoned in my opinion.”

“How could you be so cruel, Light-kun!” Misa pouted, “and anyway, I can help you get over her if you’d just give me a chance! After all, I’m your soulmate!”

“Soul mate? Where do you get this stuff?! You’re the one who said you fell in love with me at first sight even though I clearly told you I had a girlfriend at the time, which was something you obviously ignored!”

“So why would you kiss me if you didn’t even have feelings for me?!” Misa balled up her fists and aimed at Light’s chest.

“Did you forget you’re the one who kissed me?! That kiss costed me my relationship!” Light angrily responded, grabbing Misa’s hands and removing them. The irritation in his voice was unmistakable.

“But Light-kun, I thought that-”

“About all of this love at first sight and soulmate stuff...it happened on May 22nd, didn’t it?” L interrupted, looking over at Misa, who had defensively crossed her arms in front of her chest. The question made Keiko freeze a moment as she realized the full implications of L’s seemingly simple question. She didn’t like where the conversation was headed at all. 

“Yeah, so what?”

Keiko bit her lip,  _ if she was in Aoyama on the 22nd then...perhaps Light really is Kira or was Kira at some point...either way, it makes him much more suspicious...and that means, if he was Kira, that the two of them conspired together to trick me…but, is Light guilty or not? As L said, he’s in the gray... _

“Why did you choose that day to go to Aoyama, Amane-san?”

Misa sighed, “look, you’re not going to get any information out of me because I don’t remember. I don’t know how I decided to go there, or why I went there, or anything. I just went there, happened to see Light-kun, and fell in love. That’s all that I know. Anyway, since when do I need a reason to hang out in Aoyama?”

“Hmm…” L narrowed his eyes at her, “so, what you’re saying is somehow, when you came back from Aoyama, you knew that you were in love with Light…”

Misa nodded, “yes. And that’s all I know.”

“Tell me,” L leaned forward, his dark eyes looking into Misa’s, “how would you feel if Light Yagami were Kira?”

A dreamy look entered Misa’s face, which made Keiko feel sick to her stomach. 

“Oh, that’d be wonderful. I’ve always been grateful to Kira for punishing the man that murdered my family. So, if I were to find out that Light was actually Kira, that’d be a dream come true. If possible, that’d make me love him more!”

“Wouldn’t you be afraid? It is Kira, a mass murderer, that we are talking about here. What if he tried to kill you?”

“Light-kun being Kira wouldn’t be scary at all! I’m a supporter of Kira, so why would he kill me? If anything, I’d try to be helpful to Kira,” Misa responded. 

While Keiko knew where the conversation was headed, it still slightly hurt to hear the words spoken out loud. Misa had basically admitted everything without even knowing it,  _ I suppose that settles that...if my ex-boyfriend was or is still Kira, then it’s clear that Misa was the Second Kira...which I was oblivious too... _

“While I’m sure that’s very generous of you, I definitely don’t think that Kira needs your help. Based off of what you’ve told me, and the other evidence sitting against you, it’s becoming quite painfully obvious to me that you are the Second Kira.”

“But I’m not the Second Kira!” Misa cried out, “why won’t you believe me?!”

_ Are you seriously asking that right now? _

L, despite Misa’s pained outcry, continued on, “anyway, for the time being, you will remain under surveillance. For the most part, your life will return to normal, but from now on, for all private and work related purposes, Matsuda-san will be accompanying you as your new manager. And Kagami-san will be accompanying you as well from time to time as an assistant. But, please for their safety, only refer to them as Matsui-san and Kinomoto-san.”

Matsuda gave a small but friendly wave in Misa’s direction, “hi, Misa Misa-chan.”

_ W-what?! How long as he kept this up his sleeve?! Is this some sort of punishment for pushing him to release Light and Misa? And why is Matsuda being so friendly towards her after she just admitted all of that?! _

Meanwhile, Keiko narrowed her eyes at the detective, which he pointedly ignored, “your agency has been paid to keep quiet about this. So, please, don’t blow their cover.”

Misa’s face scrunched up, “do I seriously have to deal with Light-kun’s annoying  _ ex _ and this weirdo?!”

_ She’s unhappy about dealing with me?! How does she think I feel? L didn’t even discuss this with me! Was he planning on doing this all along?  _

“Weirdo?!” Matsuda’s voice broke through her thoughts. He seemed a little hurt at Misa’s comment,  “how am I a weirdo, Misa Misa-chan? Is it the tie? I can change it if you’d like.”

“I think I’ve heard more than enough of all this relationship drama and Misa-Misa crap!” Aizawa interjected, balling up his fists, “in case you’ve forgotten, there’s an investigation going on here! I think I speak for everyone here when I say I want to get back to work. We’re wasting time right now.”

“S-sorry, Aizawa-san,” Matsuda said, the color draining from his face. 

“It’s fine...just please tone it down in the future. And, anyway, I think I figured out what the main problem is...Amane-san,” Aizawa pointed in Misa’s direction, “I think it’s about time for you to to leave. I’ll escort you to your room. Matsuda-san, get the door for me, would ya.”

Matsuda scrambled towards the door, leaving it open for Aizawa.

“Wha-but why?” Misa pouted as Aizawa took hold of her arm and directed her towards the door. Seeing no other option, she relented, “fine, but Light-kun, you owe me a date! Just give me a chance, okay?”

_ How could she even say that with me standing right here? Does she really have no conscience? Ugh, I can’t believe at one point I thought she was my friend, even if it was for a short period of time…  _

With that, the door closed, leaving Keiko alone with her ex-boyfriend and the world’s greatest detective.

 

L’s POV: 

Once Misa had officially left the room, L decided it was time to direct his attention toward Light, “So, Light-kun, have you thought about giving Misa Amane a chance? Or are your feelings for Keiko too strong?”

He studied Light carefully,  _ knowing Light, if he was serious about his confession to Keiko last night then he won’t even consider it...but it’s still also likely that he wasn’t serious, and it was all just an act...either way, Light has to know that, given Misa’s affections toward him, if he were to get close to Misa, it might be beneficial to the investigation.  _

“As I said before, it’s all one-sided. I don’t have any romantic feelings whatsoever toward Misa…” Light replied bitterly. “Ryuzaki-san, did you perhaps forget about the part when I said earlier that she completely ruined my relationship?”

“Yes, so you’ve said. However, what I’m curious about is...would you at least consider pretending to be serious about Misa Amane? If that’s alright with Kagami-san, that is…” L trailed off a moment, sneaking a glance at the girl, who said nothing. However, her body language told him that she was feeling uncomfortable with the current situation.

_ Of course...if Keiko still holds feelings for Light, however small they may be, then Light doing this in order to gain information would hurt her. However, at the moment it’s still unclear to me at the moment how strong her emotions are towards Light. Any progress she made during his confinement could be lost if she’s not careful around him.  _

“You don’t mean-” Light started to say, and L cut him off before he could finish.

“Listen, it would be for the sake of the investigation. You see, there are two things that I know for sure. The first thing being that she pretty much admitted to being the Second Kira, and the second thing being that she’s hopelessly in love with you. It’s clear, given her actions, that she’s infatuated with you. She went so far as to kiss you knowing full well that you had a girlfriend, whom she considered to be her ‘friend’ at the time. It looks to me as if her love knows no bounds. In fact, I’d be willing to bet she’d do anything for you,” L finished. 

“You’re serious, aren’t you?” Light narrowed his eyes at the detective, “so, you’re saying you want me to pretend to be intimate with her in order to gain information about the Second Kira?”

“Yes,” L said simply, “I think that you’re capable of doing it without arousing her suspicions. Not to mention, it’s clear that Amane-san might be a valuable source of information for us, if she is Kira, at least.”

“Ryuzaki-san, as much as I want to help you, and as important as the investigation is...well, I can’t manipulate a woman’s feelings like that,” Light took a breath before continuing on, “please try to understand that, to me, exploiting another human being’s feelings like that for personal gain is unforgivable. I would never even consider stooping that low.”

_ It’s unforgivable, eh? That’s what you say, but if you’re really Kira, then you’re being a hypocrite right now, Light Yagami. You clearly manipulated Keiko into falling for you just because, if she fell for you, she would defend you against my accusations of you being Kira...is this just an act, or do you really mean what you’re telling me? It’s as if you’re acting like a completely different person now.  _

“I see,” the detective replied, “I suppose you’re right, using Misa would be wrong…”

_ But, if you’re really Kira, then using Keiko was also wrong. _

L watched as Light ran a hand through his hair, looking over in Keiko’s direction, “exactly, Ryuzaki-san, besides…even if she won’t take me back, Keiko-chan is the one that I love. That being said, I can’t believe Misa went as far as she did in order to hurt Keiko and win me over. I can’t forget that she single handedly ruined my relationship.”

_ Hm...from what I’ve learned recently, it almost appears as if Misa Amane really was fully responsible for the fallout between Light and Keiko. His claim that Misa kissed him without his permission seems to be holding true, meaning that Light really wasn’t willing to cheat on his girlfriend…and without solid evidence to convict Light of being Kira, then...well, it appears that Keiko would have no reason not to eventually give him a second chance at this rate…unfortunately. And their kiss earlier today...well, it provides proof for my theory that Keiko’s feelings for me might be only temporary…  _

At that thought, a pang ran through him. 

_ Is this what jealousy feels like? No, wait…I can’t afford to be jealous…  _

Although he would never admit it, the sight of seeing Light and Keiko kissing earlier that day hadn’t left his mind, and he wasn’t sure if it ever would. The detective also still did not trust Light Yagami, not one bit. However, he couldn’t say the same for Keiko. Her feelings for Light, while subdued, still appeared to be somewhat lingering. He needed to figure out for sure what she was thinking and how she was feeling.

_ While I can’t afford to be jealous...would it be...wrong of me...to hope that any feelings Keiko might have for me lingers? Is it wrong of me to hope that she won’t take him back? Is it wrong of me not to want her to get hurt again…? _

 

Keiko’s POV:

_ Is Light being serious right now? He says that he loves me, and that he would never use Misa because it’s wrong to use people...but yet...if we find evidence that proves he’s Kira then... _ Keiko bit her lip, her heart sinking in her chest,  _ then that means he’s not only a hypocrite but he never really loved me in the first place…and that he was attempting to lie to me once again. If that’s true then I’m at risk of falling into his trap…  _

Keiko looked over at her ex-boyfriend, who gave her an earnest smile in return,  _ however...he seems genuine. If he really is being genuine then that means he meant what he said; he really is in love with me and wants me back...however, while a small part of me still misses Light, it looks like it’s more trouble than it’s worth. I definitely don’t want to face Misa’s wrath…that and...despite my lingering feelings for Light, I’m not even sure if I want to take him back because...because I still can’t forget about what happened between-   _

The sound of L’s voice broke through her thoughts, “speaking of...what do you think about the current situation, Kagami-san? Is there anything you’d like to say?” 

Keiko, who had been studying her ex-boyfriend, looked over the detective. As always, those dark eyes of his gave no hint as what he was thinking or how he was feeling. She gave an uncomfortable cough, suddenly feeling very self-conscious. 

_ Did he somehow realize I was just thinking about him…? _

“I, uh...well…” she trailed off. To say that she was frustrated and confused would be an understatement. She supposed she should have been used to the feeling by now but for every step she had taken forward, she had taken three steps back. 

Or so she felt. 

Either way, she wasn’t sure how to respond. All she could focus on was the fact that she could slowly feel her cheeks becoming tinged with pink the longer L stared at her, and that she was powerless to stop it. 

_ Even though kissing me was apparently a ‘mistake’...I can’t get him off my mind…and the way he complimented me...if he really meant it…then could he possibly care about me? But…if he really cared about me, then why would kissing me be a mistake? Ugh, I’m getting nowhere, it’s like I’m going in circles… although, that being said, I supposed if he truly cared about me, he wouldn’t have stuck me partially in charge of Misa...I suppose it shouldn’t be too bad if Matusda’s going to be there as well but still, how could he just do that to me without asking first?! I’ll have to confront L about that later...though I suppose Light will be there to hear that conversation as well, given the current situation…lovely.  _

“Perhaps we shouldn’t be putting her on the spot like that, Ryuzaki-san,” Light said, breaking the silence. 

_ You know, for the first time in a while, I can say I agree with you, Light, _ Keiko thought. 

“I suppose you’re right,” L responded, his gaze shifting towards Light once more, “anyway, there’s an announcement I’d like to make. An announcement regarding the new location of the Task Force headquarters…Light-kun, could you please get a hold of your father?”

Light nodded, “sure.”

“Wonderful,” L replied, “and I’ll have Watari inform the others to meet back here.”

 

_ /short timeskip/ _

Keiko’s POV:

“Now that everyone’s here, I have an announcement to make,” L started, looking around the hotel room. He was standing, though slightly hunched, in the center of the room, “given the circumstances of the case, security is a top priority. So, I arranged for a new facility to be made. Construction started soon after first met up with Yagami-san and the others. It’s twenty-three floors above ground, and two below. And, although it’s impossible to see it from the outside, there are two helicopters hidden on the roof.”

With that being said, L opened his laptop sitting on the table below him, clicking on the photo. Keiko was astonished at what she was seeing, and she was sure that she wasn’t the only one feeling that way.

“Wow, that’s amazing, Ryuzaki-san,” Light commented.

“Ideally, I would like everyone to spend as much time here as possible to work on the case, so there’s room for everyone to stay overnight, if need be. And, in the case that the investigation team grows, we can accomodate more people. Now, I was thinking that Kagami-san and Amane-san could share their own floor…”

At that, Keiko crossed her arms, not believing what she was hearing. The detective looked over in her direction, “yes, Kagami-san? What is it?”

Keiko raised an eyebrow, “are you seriously asking me that right now?”

She hadn’t wanted to have this conversation in front of the others, but she supposed she couldn’t hold in her discontent any longer regarding Misa Amane.

“First, you volunteer me, without my permission might I add, to be in charge of Amane-san when she has work-related engagements, and now this! All that space and you want me to share a floor with her?!” Keiko huffed. She knew she sounded bitter, but honestly, she was. It wasn’t fair that L was doing this to her. 

“I think you’re misunderstanding, Kagami-san,” L replied, his voice level. “The reason I want you to be around Amane-san is because I trust you. Amane-san, however, I don’t trust. Therefore, if need be, you can be closeby and keep an eye on her. However, if you’re truly that opposed to the idea, then I suppose other arrangements can be made…”

_ If he trusts me then that’s a good thing right? I’m not happy about the circumstances, however, but...I suppose I won’t have to be around Amane-san all the time…maybe I shouldn’t even be complaining, considering that Light and L are literally chained together for the foreseeable future.   _

Keiko sighed, “no, it’s alright...I suppose I can deal with it.”

L gave a slight nod, “alright, it’s settled then.” He lifted his arm a little, which rattled the chains connecting him to Light, “also, I suppose it’s clear that, given the current situation, Light and I will be sharing a floor as well.”

“This is truly impressive,” Light commented, “but...to go to such lengths…”

“As you can see, it is my intention to solve this case, no matter what it takes,” L announced. He looked around the room, meeting Keiko’s eyes for a moment. Although it was only a brief interaction, it got her heart pumping slightly faster.

“I’m right there with you,” Light replied, “we need to solve this case, no matter what or how long it takes.”

“You know, if you’re serious about what you just said, you should try to get close to Amane-san…” L murmured. Thanks to his monotone, Keiko couldn’t quite decipher if he was really being serious or not. 

“I already told you, I can’t do that,” Light cast a wary look in the detective’s direction, “that goes against my principles. Not only that, but I still have rather strong feelings for Kagami-san…to be honest, though I don’t know how she feels about this, I want her back...”

_ Is he serious right now? Well, I suppose I never gave him a proper answer the other night...well, even though a part of me misses him, I don’t know for sure whether or not Light is or was Kira and if he truly has feelings for me or not...and when I consider how I feel about L, and how I can’t stop thinking about what happened between us...getting back together with Light doesn’t seem like the best idea. _

“Oh, right, you already said that,” L muttered quietly, “hmm...what a shame.”

“Light-kun,” Matsuda looked between Keiko and Light, his eyes lighting up, “are you serious? Keiko-chan, what do you think about that? It’d be great if you two got back together!”

“Matsuda-san,” Keiko sharply inhaled, “please don’t get too excited.”

A sudden cough from the back of the room caught everyone’s attention. Aizawa. 

“Yes, Aizawa-san. Is there something you wish to say?” L prompted.

“Uh...oh, it’s nothing...I’m just feeling very motivated. Let’s all solve this together, Ryuzaki-san, chief, Light-san, and Kagami-san…let’s bring Kira together,” Aizawa responded, nodding at each and every one of them individually as he named them off.

Matsuda gave a nervous laugh, “uh, excuse me...but I couldn’t help but to notice that you missed my name…”

Keiko gave a short laugh, which relieved some of the tension she had built up from earlier, “gee, I wonder why, Matsuda-san.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Matsuda questioned, looking at Keiko with a worried expression on his face.

“It’s nothing,” Keiko replied, giving a her hand a small wave, “don’t worry about it.”

_ Don’t worry about it...if only I could take my own advice...and yet, here I am, overanalyzing everything.  _


	38. Chapter Thirty-eight: Persuasion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the slow updates! School is killing me lol! Hope you guys enjoy! More exciting stuff to come!   
> ~Stepho

 

 

Rem’s POV:

“Well,” the elder, bald man, Takeshi Ooi, started, “now that we’re all here, we might as well get started with the meeting. We’re all here to further the growth of the Yotsuba Group by reducing competition, that much has been established already...now the only question is, who is going to die?”

Rem watched as the man sitting beside Higuchi, Eiichi Takahashi, commented,“I must say, I’m not thrilled that we have to do this every single week. This may be irrelevant but I have to wonder, what prompted Kira to start killing business people in addition to the usual criminals?” 

“Oh, come on now, Takahashi-san. Have you figured it out?” Kida replied, leaning forward in his seat.

“This is the most advantageous course of action for Kira,” Higuchi commented. 

“Advantageous?” Takahashi narrowed his eyes, “the way I see it, Kira’s basically started a killing service…” 

_ In this case _ , Rem thought to herself,  _ the man’s almost right… _

“You have a lot to say considering how stupid you are,” Higuchi spat out, “I’d hate to see you get killed because of it.”

_ Did Light really make the right choice in picking Higuchi? He seems a little reckless...but, if he gets the heat off of Misa, then perhaps it’s worth all this trouble. _

“Despite the fact that we are all relatively young, all of us are all front runners to becoming Yotsuba’s next CEO...not only that but our salaries have already eclipsed compared to all the other employees…” Namikawa stated, “it’s interesting…from what I’ve observed, it’s highly unlikely that Kira would randomly favor a particular company. The way I see it, one of us in this room has to be Kira.”   

_ That guy’s pretty perceptive...but it looks like he doesn’t know which of the eight is Kira.  _

“So, anyway, we should get back to business,” Higuchi started, ignoring Namikawa’s comment, “does anyone have a proposal? Who should we have Kira eliminate this week, gentlemen?” 

Rem shivered,  _ human beings are truly disgusting creatures… _

 

/Meanwhile/

 

Misa’s POV:

“Light-kun!” Misa happily called out as she entered the main investigation room at the new headquarters. Even she had to admit, the building was rather impressive, despite the fact that L was the one behind the place. The only downside was that she had to share floor with Light’s ex-girlfriend. However, Misa wasn’t going to let that ruin her good mood. There were other things, more important things, on her mind. Misa had a goal to reach, and she was determined to make it, no matter what.

She was going to get what she wanted; a proper date with Light Yagami.

_ I’ve waited far too long for this…I can’t back down now!   _

As soon as the blonde caught Light’s attention, she gave a quick wave in his direction. Much to her dismay, he didn’t reciprocate. Misa frowned, pouting a little as she sat down on the couch across from him. She made it a point to ignore a certain raven haired detective, despite that he had been staring at her ever since she entered the room, and despite the fact that he was still quite literally attached to Light.

“Liiiiiight-kun,” Misa repeated, drawing out his name as she leaned forward in an attempt to get a closer look at him, “helloooo, earth to Light. Is anyone home?” 

“What do you want, Amane-san?” Light questioned after a moment, finally breaking his silence. He had been trying to ignore her, but he had soon realized that Misa wasn’t going to leave him alone until she got his attention.

Misa frowned, unhappy with the response she got,  _ hmm...what’s up with him? Why’s he in such a sour mood?  _

“What’s wrong?” she asked, carefully studying him. 

Light sighed, closing his eyes a moment. “It’s nothing...please, continue. What were you going to say?”

“Hmm...well, alright. If you insist, Light-kun,” Misa started, “I was wondering if you had something to do today because, well, I was thinking that perhaps-”

“If this is about a date, Misa-chan, I’ve already told you. You should know by now that I’m not interested,” Light interrupted, crossing his legs as he looked over in her direction. 

“Awww, come on, Light-kun...just one date...please? For me?” Misa pouted, pushing her bottom lip forward. “I promise I’ll make it worth your while.” 

“As I’ve just said, I’m not interested,” Light responded simply, “you know full well how I feel about Kagami-san…besides, we can’t really have much of a date anyway. Have you forgotten about the fact that Ryuzaki-san and I are handcuffed together right now?”

“Oh, no, please. Forget that I’m even here,” L interjected, calmly popping a strawberry in his mouth. “Don’t let my presence bother you.”

“How can I forget about that?” Misa glared at the detective,  “why are you even handcuffed to Light-kun anyway? Are you into that sort of thing? That’s so creepy!”

“In case you’ve forgotten, Misa-chan, we’re in the middle of an investigation right now. And I’m determined to do my part in helping to solve the case, even if it means making sacrifices like this,” Light replied, “and, on that note, have you also forgotten that you’re still a prime suspect in this investigation?”

“But, Light-kun…” Misa whined, “all I want is just one date with you. Come on. It’s not fair to not even give me a chance.”

“Why not just do it?” L interjected once more, casting a lazy glance in Light’s direction, “it’s obvious she won’t quit until she gets what she wants. We won’t be able to work in peace unless you shut her up by agreeing to a date.”

Misa crossed her arms, “hey! I heard that! But…hey, wait, are you saying that you’ll let Light and I have a date together? In private?!”

“A date? Yes. In private? I’m afraid not; I’ll still be here, of course. But, like I said, just pretend that I’m not even there,” L replied.

“What will it take for you to take off those creepy handcuffs and let Light and I have a proper date?!” Misa demanded. 

“Look, to be blunt, even if I removed the handcuffs, I’d still be watching you two through the security cameras.” 

Misa narrowed her eyes at the detective, “handcuffs and security cameras too? You really are a pervert!”

The detective, however, seemed unfazed at her accusation, “you can call me whatever you’d like, the point is, I have to keep an eye on the two of you for purposes relating to the investigation. As Light-kun said, you are a prime suspect in this case. As is Light-kun himself, which is why I’m going to such great lengths.”

“I still don’t even know why I’m a suspect! I’ve told you, I don’t know anything about Kira! All I know is that I’m in love with Light Yagami, and all I want is a simple date with him! Is that so much to ask for?!”  Misa gave an exasperated sigh, looking around the room. She was going to find a way. There was no way she’d take no for an answer. 

_ What should I do…? If there’s absolutely no way to get L to give Light and I some private time, then perhaps I should change my strategy somewhat…hmm.... _

Misa scanned the room, looking around in despair. She knew that it would take a miracle in order to get the great detective to budge.

_ Unfortunately, it seems that my options are rather limited...but, even so, I can’t give up! No, I refuse to give up! _

After a moment, her gaze fell on Keiko, who was sitting in the corner of the room, looking over her notebook in concentration. Misa watched as the girl tucked away a runaway strand of hair behind her ear. The gears in Misa’s mind were slowly starting to turn. 

_ Hmm... _

Misa turned around to shoot a quick glance at Light and L before focusing her attention back to Keiko, an idea forming in her head. An idea that Misa hoped L would agree to. It was almost like a compromise of sorts. 

_ Even though she’s technically my rival, I have to admit, she’s pretty cute. Of course, she’s nowhere near my level, but I suppose she’ll have to do. There are no other girls around here anyway.  _

Misa glanced back over at the detective, whom she noticed happened to also be looking over in Keiko’s direction. Although it was subtle, Misa didn’t miss the slight tug on his lips as he studied the light brown haired girl. His features seemed more relaxed than what she had grown used to seeing over the course of the last few days.

_ Wait a second…that’s the first time I’ve seen that creepy, annoying detective smile...in fact, I’ve never seen him look so happy before. How interesting…heh _ , a smile curled her lips,  _ if he’s interested in Keiko, then perhaps he’ll agree to my idea…and if Keiko and L get closer then it’s less competition for me...wow, look at me being a matchmaker! Anyway, it’s a win win! Light Yagami, you’re going to be mine once and for all!  _

“Ryuzaki-san,” Misa started, still looking over at the detective, “if Light-kun and I can’t have a date on our own then how about we just have a double date?! That way I won’t feel so awkward having you around and I can still spend time with Light-kun.”

“You want a double date?” L questioned, letting the idea sink in for a moment, “Amane-san, you mean-”

An overly excited Misa cut him off before he could finish his sentence, “yes! A double date! Light-kun with me, and you with Keiko-chan!”

_ Heh, it looks like my little plan might actually work!  _

Keiko’s POV:

Upon hearing her name enter the conversation, a startled Keiko looked over at the rest of the group sitting together on the couches in front of her. She had been trying, and failing, to tune out the current conversation. The last thing she expected, given the topic of discussion, was to be unwillingly dragged into things. 

_ Misa wants to do a double date?! With L and I?! What’s her motive?  _ Keiko bit her lip, scrutinizing the blonde haired girl, who seemed way too excited for the early morning hour. 

_ Does she really see that as the only way she’ll get to spend time with Light-kun? Well…I suppose she’s right. It sounds like Light doesn’t want to spend any time alone with her, and there’s no way L would even allow that anyway. So, given the current state of things, this must have been the best option in Misa’s mind... _

Keiko honestly wasn’t sure how she felt about the situation. On one hand, she would get to spend more time with the detective. On the other hand, not only would she have to deal with the girl that ruined her relationship with her ex-boyfriend, but she would have to deal with her ex-boyfriend himself. 

_ Wonderful... _

She wasn’t even sure how to react about possibly going on a double date with the guy she was kind of crushing on, the ex-boyfriend she kind of missed, and the girl she responsible for all her relationship drama.  

The four of them. Alone. Together. It almost seemed like a recipe for disaster. No, scratch that, it was a recipe for disaster. 

“It’s perfect!” Misa continued on, still talking to the detective, “besides, you and Keiko-chan would be so cute together as a couple!”

_ W-what?  _

While Keiko knew that Misa was only saying that because she wanted to persuade L to agree to a double date, a part of Keiko wondered if there was any truth to her words.

Keiko’s heart leapt in her chest at the thought,  _ would we really be good together? I haven’t really thought about that before, actually being a couple with him...and I doubt I’ll ever find out what it’d be like, considering how L reacted to the kiss the other day…I don’t know what he’s thinking, and at this rate, I never will. That’s the most frustrating thing about him, he’s not easy to read and he’s always so cryptic.  _

“Ryuzaki-san and my ex-girlfriend?! Together?! As a cute couple?!” Light sputtered out, disbelief written all over his features, “no way! That’s just crazy!”

_ What? Is the thought of L and I together really all that crazy?  _

For some reason, Light’s comment somewhat bothered her. 

_ What does it matter what he thinks anyway? Even though I still miss him, I can’t forget how he broke my heart, and the one that helped me forget him is L...who, judging by his behavior, I’ll never have a chance with. Ever.  _

The sound of L’s voice broke through Keiko’s thoughts, “you know, Misa-chan, I wouldn’t object to that...unless Keiko-chan is uncomfortable with the idea.”

_ W-what did he say?! _

Keiko could feel her face starting to turn pink at his comment, which only intensified as the detective’s dark eyes met her own. 

_ L seriously isn’t objecting to the idea?! What is he thinking? Hmm…could this be because he might actually like-no, Keiko, don’t you dare finish that thought. You must know that he’s only okay with the idea because he wants to keep an eye on Light and Misa. You know, because of the investigation. Don’t kid yourself, there’s no other reason. Besides, if he really liked you, then he wouldn’t have said that kissing you was a mistake…right?  _

Keiko let out a soft sigh,  _ but, if that’s the case then why did he compliment me? It makes no sense. He makes no sense… _

“You can’t be serious, Ryuzaki-san,” Light interjected once more. He then turned around to look over at Keiko, “Keiko-chan, please, you should tell Ryuzaki-san you’re not okay with this, that you don’t want to do it…surely you know how absurd this idea sounds…” 

Keiko could see from his expression that, if she agreed, not only would he be annoyed because then he’d have to deal with Misa, but he’d also be hurt at the thought of Keiko agreeing to a date with L, even if it was only for the investigation.

_ Why’s Light doing this now?! It’s not fair! When I was head over heels for him, he broke my heart...and now here I am, finally putting the pieces back together and starting to move on, and he complicates things even more! _

“Who are you to tell me what I should and shouldn’t do, Light-kun?” Keiko snapped, letting her emotions overwhelm her, but she wasn’t done yet. She had more, a lot more, to get off her chest. 

“From what I remember, we’re not a couple anymore, in fact, we haven’t been for a while now...besides, if you want to talk about shoulds and should nots so badly then let me just say this; you shouldn’t have broken my heart, Light-kun,” Keiko continued on, now standing up from her seat in the corner of the room. 

She walked towards the group, her gaze shifting between the three of them sitting on the couches, “that being said, I think I’ll do it....I’ll go on a double date with you, Ryuzaki-san.”

Keiko knew it was a low blow, especially if Light meant what he said the other day, if he did truly love her. Yet, she couldn’t stop the bitter words from escaping her mouth. However, although she was still irritated with Light, when she saw how pained his expression was, she started to feel a little guilty. 

_ Am I a horrible person, agreeing to a double date knowing that Light still has feelings for me? He looks so hurt, and if Light knew about the kiss between L and I, he’d be even more devastated, if that were even possible...then again, _ Keiko swallowed hard, feeling a little torn,  _ I suppose it's payback for the way he hurt me...and if he turns out to be Kira, it’s revenge for the way he led me on and lied to me...if he’s Kira then that means he’s manipulating me, even right now... _

Unable to look at Light any longer, Keiko’s gaze shifted over to the detective. Almost immediately, his dark eyes met hers, a ghost of a smile was on his lips. It was an expression that made her heart skip a beat, and she had to look away, awkwardly tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

_ He seems rather pleased with the situation...logically, I know it’s because he wants Light to get closer to Misa to help with the investigation...but a part of me would like to think that it’s also because he actually wants to go on a date with me...as stupid as that sounds...ugh, I’m so hopeless... _

“Great, then it’s settled! Yay, a date with Light Yagami! I’m so excited, let’s do it as soon as possible,” Misa pumped a fist in the air, breaking the awkward silence that had settled over the room. She looked over at Light, “don’t worry, Light-kun. I’ll help you get over Keiko-chan. I’m your soulmate anyway, not her.”

However, Keiko thought, mentally rolling her eyes,  _ the way Misa is fawning over Light is rather annoying... _

 

L’s POV:

The detective kept his gaze on Keiko, _ well, I must say...I like seeing this side of her...and while Keiko’s outburst means she feels something for Light Yagami, it’s not entirely a bad thing in this situation. Her yes means more than yes. In fact, her little outburst, and her agreeing to go on a double date with me means that chances of her taking Light back are slim. And while I know part of the reason she agreed to this was to make Light hurt like she did, the fact still remains that, if she doesn’t take Light back then...perhaps the feelings she had when she kissed me are still there... _

While the detective couldn’t openly admit it to himself, he liked the thought of Keiko being attracted to him. Perhaps he liked it a little too much for his taste, but it appeared there wasn’t much he could do about that; his feelings for her had grown stronger ever since that kiss. His feelings for her somehow made the case both easier and harder to work on. He enjoyed her company and working with her, but she was also a distraction to him. 

_ A welcomed distraction, but a distraction nonetheless…  _

  
  
  
  
  
  



	39. Chapter Thirty-nine: Rendezvous

 

Keiko’s POV: 

Keiko watched as the blonde sitting across from her let out a disappointed sigh. “Man,” Misa pouted, “this has got to be the lamest double date I’ve ever been on.”

The four of them were all gathered in Mia’s quarters. Misa had insisted on sitting next to Light, of course, which pushed Keiko to awkwardly sit next to the raven haired detective. Now, there they were, sitting side-by-side on separate cushions. It was like an invisible boundary, an imaginary line, between them. However, Keiko wasn’t sure if the ocean of space between them was a blessing or a curse. 

_ Perhaps _ , she supposed,  _ it’s both.  _

While Keiko wanted nothing more than to be near him, she was also glad for the space. She wasn’t sure she could trust herself to be sitting any closer to him. The closer she was to him, the more his warmth would invite her in and tempt her once more. 

_ We’ve already kissed once… something my ex-boyfriend is clueless about...we don’t need to make it a second time. _

Keiko didn’t need the heartache and confusion, not again. She also didn’t need anyone on the Task Force, especially her ex-boyfriend, finding out.

_ If they ever found out then… _ , Keiko didn’t want to finish that sentence. She pushed that thought from her mind and attempted to focus on the scene playing out in front of her. 

“You know, I did give you fair warning that, given the current situation with Light and I, our options for a date would be sufficiently limited,” the detective commented, gesturing to the handcuffs linking him and Keiko’s ex-boyfriend together. Keiko was honestly both surprised and somewhat impressed that the detective found a chain long enough for them to sit comfortably across from each other. 

“Hmph,” Misa slumped back against the couch. “At least I get to spend some quality time with Light-kun.”

Keiko glanced over at her ex-boyfriend. The scowl on his face told her that he’d rather be anywhere else than on a date with Misa, not that she could blame him. Keiko supposed it was in part her fault for their uncomfortable situation, as she was the one who agreed to a double date with L, but she still couldn’t come to fully regret her decision.

She had to admit, a small part of her had been curious as to how a double date with the world’s greatest detective would play out. Keiko knew that there was a chance nothing good would come out of this, but she figured she’d deal with the consequences of that decision later on. Or, hopefully, never, though she supposed that was just wishful thinking. After all, a double date featuring Misa Amane, her ex-boyfriend, and L was probably bound for disaster.

“By the way,” L started, gesturing towards the uneaten slice of cake sitting in front of Misa. “Are you planning to eat that?”

“No way!” Misa cried out, disgust crossing her features. She pushed the plate of cake away from her, “cake makes you fat. I’m not going to eat any.”

Keiko, who had just taken a small bite of her strawberry cake, slowly lifted her plate back down onto the table in front of her. She figured she had almost gotten away with her action, that is, until she sensed that L’s eyes were on her. When the detective saw that Keiko had noticed him, the corners of his mouth turned slightly upwards, and she could feel her cheeks turning a light pink. 

_ How wonderful, he caught me…ugh, how embarrassing. I know I shouldn’t let Misa get to me, but… _

“Actually,” the sound of L’s voice broke through Keiko’s thoughts. Keiko looked up, watching as L stared at the blonde girl. “You wouldn’t gain any weight as long as you burned calories by using your brain.”

Keiko covered her mouth to let out a soft giggle, _ is this his attempt to try and make me feel better? Or am I just reading too much into things?  _

Across from her, Misa crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing at the detective. “Hmph! So now you’re calling me stupid?!”

_Well, knowing L, it’s probably the latter...either way, it’s still oh-so satisfying to watch Misa’s reaction…_ _looks like someone isn’t too happy..._

“I never said that,” L responded, calm as ever, as he finished his piece of cake. He looked over at Misa, “however, if that’s what you got from my comment, then so be it. I can’t do anything about that.”

Annoyance flickered across Misa’s features, her lips were now a thin line. Keiko watched as she pushed her piece of cake across the table towards the detective. “Fine…how about this? I will give you my piece of cake as long as you and Keiko agree to let Light-kun and I have a proper date in _ private _ !”

“Even if we did leave the two of you alone, I assure you that we would still be watching on the surveillance cameras. So it wouldn’t really make a difference.”

“Surveillance cameras? What a pervert!” Misa shuddered, looking aghast at the detective. “Could you maybe stop it with that creepy hobby of yours?!”

The detective leaned forward, carefully inspecting the blonde girl. “Hmm…you say it’s creepy? You do realize that it’s only for purposes relating to the investigation, right? An investigation that you’re a top suspect in.”

“It’s still very creepy! And, it’s no fair that I’m a suspect! I told you, I don’t know anything about Kira! All I want to do is have a proper date with Light-kun without you creeping around and being a pervert!”

Despite Misa’s persistent name calling, Keiko noticed that L seemed unfazed,  _ it would appear that he’s getting used to it by now. _

“So I’m still a pervert in your eyes? Well, Amane-san, feel free to call me whatever you’d like, I’m taking your cake.” 

With that, L reached forward, grabbing the plate and taking a bite out of the cake that Misa had pushed towards him. He looked rather pleased with himself. Misa, on the other hand, looked defeated. 

“Why would you want to watch Light-kun and I have a date anyway? Why can’t you just let the two of us be alone?” Misa grumbled.

“Who said I wanted to be alone with you? As I said before, you’re the one who ruined my relationship with Keiko. The last thing I want is to be alone with you,” Light responded bitterly, causing Misa to pout once more.

“But Light-kun! I told you before, you two don’t belong together. After all, I’m the one that’s your soul mate!”

“I highly doubt that,” Light responded, crossing his arms in front of his chest. “Anyway I only have feelings for Keiko-chan.”

Keiko ate another bite of her cake and attempted to keep her face neutral as she chewed. She didn’t dare meet her ex-boyfriend’s eyes. 

_ He keeps saying that…but does he truly mean it? However, I suppose…no matter how he feels, and despite my lingering feelings, it’s too late for us. Isn’t it? Otherwise, why would I have let myself have feelings for L? Why would I even let myself go so far as to kiss him?  _

“I’ll help you forget her,” Misa started, “besides, like I said before, Ryuzaki-san and Keiko-chan would look cute together, don’t you think?”

_ I’m certain it’s because she wants to keep Light all to herself, but still…why’s she saying all this again? Surely Misa must realize that she’s only stirring up trouble… I know she knows that Light still has feelings for me. So what is she gaining by pushing L and I together? It doesn’t make any sense. By attempting to play matchmaker, she’ll only upset Light more...what’s she planning on doing?  _

“Them? Together? Yeah, right,” Light had a sour tone to his voice. “Again, that’s absurd. It’s just as crazy as the thought of you and I together.”

Misa, however, didn’t pay any attention to Light’s harsh comment. She leaned forward, looking straight at the raven haired detective, who was still munching on the slice of cake that he had successfully stolen from her. 

A sly grin was poking at her face as she questioned, “what do you think, Ryuzaki-san? Don’t you think you two would look so cute together?”

_ She’s asking him directly?! Wait a minute…  _

Keiko glanced over at the raven haired detective, hoping to see his reaction, if anything, to Misa’s question. She supposed she could try and piece together how he felt about her. However, much to her disappointment, his expression was neutral. L raised his fork, eating the final bite of Misa’s cake before responding. 

“I suppose,” he said after a moment of chewing. Although his response was not negative, Keiko didn’t feel it was positive either.

_ ‘I suppose’. What kind of response is ‘I suppose’?! What is that supposed to mean? As per usual, he’s hard to read…it’s not surprising, but I was hoping, if he really did care about me...he’d give a stronger reaction to her question…after all, he kissed me back...but I suppose, to him, it meant nothing. Like I thought, I have no chance with him... _

Misa frowned, appearing to also be disappointed with L’s lack of a clear response. 

“Fine,” she started. The blonde shifted in her seat and focused her attention on her next victim, Keiko, “hmm...what do you think, Keiko-chan? You said you and Light-kun broke up so...that must mean you’re ready to move on.”

“Eh?” Keiko glanced around the room. All eyes in the room were now on her, especially L’s, something she was now becoming hyper aware of. The girl was uncertain how to respond, or if she even should respond, to Misa’s prodding. She bit her lip, anxiously playing with a loose thread on her skirt. 

“Hmm, how cute…there’s no need to be so shy, you know,” Misa grinned, “if you broke up with Light-kun then that means you’re over him, right? Isn’t that also why you agreed to a double date with Ryuzaki-san?”

Keiko stiffened at Misa’s words.

_ That might have been a part of it, but you certainly don’t have to know that! Again, why is she suddenly so interested in L and I? _

“T-that’s none of your business, Misa-chan,” Keiko stuttered out, not bothering to meet anyone’s eyes. She didn’t want to accidentally give away her true feelings towards L.  “Besides, need I remind you, there’s an investigation going on right now. That’s much more important than a silly date.”

_ Even so, I wanted to go on that silly date…with L… what does that say about me? I’m just a girl with a useless crush on a world renowned detective. A detective that made the ‘mistake’ of kissing me.  _

“But this is much more interesting than some boring investigation!” Misa replied, giggling a little, “isn’t it?”

“Not really,” Keiko mutered. While the girl was more than ready to change topics, she had a sneaking suspicion that Misa would keep pestering both herself and the detective. She watched as the blonde haired girl leaned forward once more, looking between herself and the detective. Sure enough, there was a mischievous look on her face that Keiko didn’t trust. Keiko groaned internally.

_ What’s she up to…?  _

“Say…have you ever kissed anyone, Ryuzaki-san?” The question left Misa’s lips with a playful tone, but to Keiko, her question was anything but playful. 

_ K-kissed?! L?! _ Keiko’s eyes widened at Misa’s sudden question. She gave a violent cough, nearly choking on the bite of cake she had been chewing,  _ she doesn’t suspect anything, does she?! No, wait...think logically...she’s probably just trying to stir things up a bit on purpose, so calm down, Keiko...there’s no way that she knows anything about what happened that night. That’s impossible. She’s just trying to get a reaction out of L.  _

“Are you alright?” L questioned, giving a quick glance in her direction. Keiko cautiously met the detective’s eyes. As always, he looked as calm and collected as ever. If Misa’s question had shocked him in any way, he didn’t show it. In fact, if anything the L looked rather amused at Keiko’s reaction.

_ Great…not only is he not affected by this, he’s enjoying watching me suffer! He must know how I feel about him! That must mean that what happened that night really was one big joke to him. I’m one big joke to him… _

Keiko could feel her cheeks flushing pink with both embarrassment and annoyance as she nodded, not bothering to meet his eyes again. Her throat was on fire, and she reached for her water. While the cool drink quenched her thirst, it did nothing to quell the raging storms of emotion within her.

“You should be more careful, Kagami-san,” L commented. “I wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to you.”

_ What’s that supposed to mean?! First ‘I suppose’ and now this? His words make it sound like he cares about me but his actions prove otherwise! As always, he’s so frustrating! _

“So...about my question...have you?” Misa questioned once more, still peering over at the detective. It appeared that the girl didn’t connect Keiko’s little choking fiasco to her question, something that she was thankful for.

“What’s with your sudden interest with my love life, Amane-san?” L responded, quirking an eyebrow. 

“Aha!” Misa pointed at the detective. “I bet you haven’t! That must be why you’re dodging my question!”

“Is that what you think?” 

Misa nodded, “yes. That’s gotta be it. You’ve never kissed anyone. You’ve never been on a real date before, either, have you? That must be why you said you weren’t opposed to going on a double date with Keiko-chan!” 

“Amane-san…” Light interjected. “Please stop. You’re acting ridiculous.”

The blonde gave a scandalous gasp as she continued on, not listening to Light. She wagged a finger at L. “You do know that dates can end with a kiss, right? Did you want a kiss from her? You sly dog!”

“I see...so that’s your thought process,” the detective said after a moment. A sly grin entered his face, “hmm, so you’re telling me I should kiss Kagami-san? Is that it? After all, she also agreed to this double date...”

Misa gave a loud squeal as L turned towards Keiko, closing some of the distance between the two of them. Before she could even process what was going on, Keiko found herself face to face with the detective. 

“Is that what you want? Do you want me to kiss you, Keiko-chan?” the detective questioned. His dark eyes looking deeply into her own. His gaze was too personal, too intense for Keiko. Panic bubbled up inside her and she could feel her heart hammering away in her chest. She could also feel her face flaming, something she didn’t want anyone in the room to notice, causing her to look down at her lap. 

Much to her dismay, L lightly touched her chin, slowly directing her gaze upwards at him. This caused Misa to squeal once more in delight, “it’s like I’m watching a t.v. drama!”

“R-Ryuzaki-san…” Keiko somehow managed to stutter out. She could feel the warmth emitting from his body. Memories of their previous kiss flooded her mind and she couldn’t stop herself from glancing down at his lips. If she wanted to, she could easily kiss him once more, but there was no way she would let herself do that. Not again. Especially not in front of Misa and her ex-boyfriend.

_ Why’s he doing this to me?! He’s not playing fair! _

A part of her urged herself to push the detective away from her, but another part of her knew she didn’t want that. 

_ But I have to! I can’t let him kiss me in front of them! Especially not in front of my ex-boyfriend! It’s far too dangerous! _

However, before Keiko even had a chance to free herself from L’s clutches, Light sprang forward out of his seat. He was livid. Her ex-boyfriend briskly walked over towards their side of the couch, roughly grabbing L by the collar of his shirt, forcing him to stand up. As soon as L managed to stand up, Light punched him square in the face with a rather loud thwack. Keiko cringed upon hearing the impact of Light’s fist meeting L’s face, and Misa gave a loud, shocked gasp. 

“That’s for Keiko,” Light announced, a smug expression on his face as L hit the ground. 

Upon hearing his words, Keiko shot up from her seat, her thoughts running wild. 

_ He did that for me?! What?! Does this mean Light meant it when he said he loved me? Does this mean that Light’s relationship with me was real all along? Does this mean Light was jealous?  _

“An eye for an eye, my friend,” L stated as he wiped his bruised cheek. Once he had regained some of his balance back, his leg shot into the air, kicking Light in the face with his foot. Light groaned, hitting the ground with a thud. “That’s also for Keiko.”

Light’s eyes narrowed at the detective, a death glare on his face. “How can you say that? Who gave you the right to do anything in her name? You’re just a detective. You’re not anything to her but a co-worker on this damned investigation.”

“Well, if that’s how you see it then I could also ask you the same thing. Who gave you the right to do anything in her name as well? Aren’t you the one who broke her heart? She broke up with you, therefore, you’re nothing but an ex-boyfriend,” L responded, glancing over at him. Despite his cold words, the expression on his face was expressionless, his tone neutral.

“Our relationship isn’t any of your business, Ryuzaki-san,” Light snapped.

“Hmmm...fair enough. My relationship with Kagami-san isn’t any of your business, either, then,” the detective commented. “Besides, why are you being so serious, Light-kun? It was just a little joke.”

_ A joke?! So he admits it…?! I was right, I never meant anything to him. And to think, he had the audacity to tell me to forget what happened that night! How am I supposed to forget when he keeps teasing me like this! And in front of everyone! And hurting each other in my name?! What is that bull?! How dare they?! _

Keiko’s hands balled into little fists and she noticed Light staring at her, causing her to look away. 

“From what I observed, your little joke wasn’t that funny to her.”

The detective glanced in Keiko’s direction, a ghost of a smile playing on his lips, “on the contrary, Light-kun, it looked to me like she wanted me to kiss her.”

“Oh, just stop it! Both of you! I’ve heard more than enough! How would either of you know how I’m feeling right now?!” Keiko demanded, her initial shock finally wearing off into full blown anger. Tears of frustration were threatening her eyes, but she attempted to ignore it. She dug her nails into her skin as she continued on, trying to stop herself from having a meltdown. She turned towards Light, “you  _ broke _ me. And yet you want me to trust you again, all because you say you love me? How am I supposed to believe you?! For all I know, you could be lying to me all over again!”

“I’m so sorry.”

She could see Light’s pained expression, causing her heart to sink lower in her chest. 

_ He looks like he really does mean it..no, Keiko! Don’t melt now! Remember, that still doesn’t excuse his behavior! And...as far as behavior goes... _

“And you!” she met the detective’s eyes, willing herself to keep going. “Somehow, you’re even worse! I know by now that I can’t trust Light, that I shouldn’t trust him...but you…you’re the most frustrating one of all! I don’t know how you think or what you’re feeling at all! You say one thing but you do another! Didn’t I tell you to stop being so complicated?!”

“Kagami-san,” L whispered, his voice soft. He looked like he wanted to say more, but Keiko cut him off.

“And for that, I  _ hate _ you,” Keiko spat out.

_ I hate your stupid face. I hate those stupid clothes you wear. I hate your sweet tooth. I hate those stupid mannerisms of yours. I hate how intelligent you are. I hate how hard you are to read. I hate how vulnerable you make me feel. I hate how you know just how to drive me crazy. Most of all, I hate how I don’t hate you at all. _

Keiko could have sworn she saw a flicker of emotion cross the detective’s face, but she chalked it up to wishful thinking. 

_ I couldn’t have hurt him. He’d have to have feelings for me to do that...which he clearly doesn’t. Otherwise, why bother humiliating me like that? _

She took a deep breath, “that being said, neither of you have the right to speak on my behalf.”

With that, Keiko was done with her emotional speech. She gave a cough and an awkward silence filled with tension filtered through the room. This was broken only by the sound of the phone ringing. Keiko watched as L took a couple steps forward, reaching towards the side table for the phone.

 

L’s POV:

“Yes?”

The detective internally cringed as he heard Matsuda’s overly excited voice on the other side of the receiver, “Ryuzaki-san, I’ve got some great news! I’ve just received word that Misa-Misa is number one in magazine Eighteen’s popularity poll!”

L’s voice was emotionless as he responded. “I see.”

“Oh wait!” L could hear the desperation in Matsuda’s voice. “I’ve got more! Listen to this! She’s going to get a lead role in Nishinaka’s new movie! Isn’t this so-”

The detective had heard enough of the young policeman’s blabbering, so he hung up, setting the phone back in its original resting place. 

“What was that?” Light spoke up after a moment.

“It’s nothing. Matsuda’s being stupid again.”

“That is his speciality,” Light muttered, attempting to let out a laugh and relieve some of the tension in the room. It didn’t appear to be working very well.

L glanced at Keiko, whose face was still bright red. It was clear that she was probably regretting how harsh she had been, but he also guessed that a part of her was relieved by venting out emotion she had held inside for so long. While her words had hurt him, he knew they were words he deserved to hear. 

_ I suppose I deserved those words, as it appears my specialty is making Keiko upset. However, it wasn’t my intention to hurt her like that…through Misa’s question, an opportunity presented itself to try and make Light jealous. I only wanted to see his reaction to me getting close to her, to see if he’s telling the truth about his feelings towards her. After seeing how upset he got, I can pretty much safely assume he truly is in love with her. Although I knew Keiko might get hurt in the crossfire, I didn’t expect such a strong reaction from her...I’m sorry for making things so difficult for you once again, Keiko Kagami...the last thing I want to make you do is hate me... _


End file.
